Arbeteta Castle

Arbeteta Castle

This rock castle near the village of Arbeteta It is one of the natural passages to the Tagus from the south. From origin possibly ArabicThe first known documents date it back to the 12th century, when it was included in the Council of Cuenca by King Alfonso VIII. Its history is punctuated by disputes over its control, changing hands between the lords of Cuenca. At the end of the 15th century, the castle fell into the hands of the Lords of Medinaceli until the beginning of the 16th century, when it became part of the Gómez Carrillo de Sotomayor and its family, on which it depended for centuries until its present abandonment.

Its defensive capacity and its elevated location, in addition to the large size of the moat that surrounds it, made the existence of towers unnecessary. There are only semicircular reinforcements at two of the corners of the wall. Its large central courtyard preserves a cisternThe tower was used as a water tank, and the rest of the keep. It is interesting to note that the current access passage is the result of a restoration, but originally it must have been by means of a drawbridge. On the north wall, large windows can be seen, with lateral posts, and openings for the use of firearms, suitable for 15th-century artillery.

The strategic and watchful location overlooking the narrow valley of the Arroyo de la Rambla stream, creates one of the most genuine pictures of the medieval citadels in the province of Guadalajara, making the Arbeteta Castle in a unique place full of stories and legends.