Castle of La Atalaya

Spain, Spain

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Castle of La Atalaya, also known as Villena Castle, stands atop San Cristóbal hill in Villena, Alicante province, Spain, as a well-preserved 12th-century Almohad fortress that guarded the strategic frontier between Castile and Aragon during the Reconquista era.

Built with a double-walled enclosure featuring twelve outer towers and a massive southeast keep showcasing unique ribbed vaults rare in Spanish castles, it withstood multiple sieges by James I of Aragon until its 1240 conquest by Calatrava knights, later serving in the Revolt of the Brotherhoods, War of Spanish Succession, and Peninsular War. 

Declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1931 and restored in 1958, the robust structure now hosts Villena's Moros y Cristianos festival amid panoramic views, embodying centuries of military resilience.