Montealegre del Castillo Castle

Montealegre del Castillo Castle, locally known as Castillo de Montealegre del Castillo, lies on a hill above the town of the same name, in the province of Albacete in Spain.

The castle was probably preceded by an Arab fortification, then called Eliph, which was destroyed in 921 AD by Ordoño of León, King of Galicia.

The present castle was built in the 1330s by Sancho Manuel, after his father had ceded the depopulated territory to him. It was built in a single phase with Mozarabic techniques and a Christian design.

The new castle however was demolished only some thirty years later in 1364. This happened after Peter of Castile had authorized Chinchilla to annex the town of Montealegre and destroy the new castle, during the war with his brother Henry of Trastámara, the later Henry II of Castile. The demolition was carried out very thoroughly, leaving almost only the foundations.

After 2000 the two present towers were rebuilt on the original foundations.

At present the remains of Montealegre del Castillo Castle are fenced off and thus can not be visited. A simple castle ruin.

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