Castle of Molina de Aragon

Castle of Molina de Aragón

Its size, its characteristics, and the fact that it was the head of the important Lordship of Molina -almost an independent nation from Castile and Aragon-, make a visit to the Castle of Molina de Aragón a must.

In the castle of Molina it is necessary to distinguish the fortress surrounded by wallsand the so-called Aragon Tower. The fortress dates from the 12th century and was built by Manrique de Lara, the first lord of Molina. The Tower of Aragon was built over the Arab castle, and the latter over an earlier Celtiberian castro.

Access will be via the Clock Gatewhich is part of the wall that surrounds the enclosure, with its watchtowers, leaving a large space inside, almost enough to house a medieval city. This is no coincidence, because in the 13th century, when the lady of Molina was Doña Blanca Alfonso, housed an entire neighbourhood. The remains of the Romanesque church of Santa María del Collado, of which the floor of the nave and the bases of the columns remain, still bear witness to this.

There is also a natural chasm in this inner enclosure or albacara, known as the Cueva de la Mora.

CASTLE OF DON MANRIQUE

The castle itself is accessed through a gateway with a pointed arch. Pay attention to the defences that protrude to protect it, and to the upper wooden balcony. Passing through it, you will be aware of the great thickness of the walls.

The towers have three floors, with large windows with pointed arches, connected by metal staircases. Above our heads we will see the ribbed vaults, remains of decoration on the walls, and writings of soldiers from different periods who occupied the fortress.

In the parade ground were the residence of the Lord of Molina, the stables, kitchens, oven, rooms, well, cistern, storerooms and dungeon.

TOWER OF ARAGON

From the castle we reach this second fortress, a pentagonal tower surrounded by a wall with battlements. It is a reconstruction from the 19th century, although the original Arab fortress and the Celtiberian castro are located here.

The tower has three storeys, with a single access opening in the south wall. It has three windows, the last one with a semicircular arch. At the top, a crenellated terrace provides a view of almost the entire Molina region.

To complete the visit to the Castle of Molina de Aragón, we also recommend a visit to its magnificent museum where they will solve all our doubts and curiosities, about this, its surroundings and all the routes available.