Del Río Castle

Del Río Castle, locally known as Castillo del Río, lies on a hill in the fields east of the town of Aspe, in the province of Alicante in Spain.

Del Río Castle was built in the early 12th century, during Almoravid rule, on a mound named Tabayá, near the confluence of the Tarafa and Vinalopó rivers. There might have been an Iberian predecessor.

The Arab castle followed the outline of the hill and consisted of a walled enclosure with 12 square towers connected by curtain walls. It lacked a keep but had intervisibility with Del Mola Castle to the north. The castle controlled traffic through the valley in the direction of Elche and formed the center of a village, now called 'Old Aspe'. During the 13th century the village and its inhabitants moved to the location of present-day Aspe.

In 1265 Del Río Castle was conquered by the troops of Alfonso X of Castile. In 1296 it was occupied by Aragonese troops and entrusted to the rulers of Crevillente. In 1304 it was finally incorporated into the Kingdom of Valencia. At the end of the 15th century it went to the Counts of Cocentaina. After the expulsion of the Muslims, the complete area was left uninhabited. So in 1611 the Marquess of Elche, now lord of the area, started to repopulate the area with Christians.

At present the remains of Del Río Castle can freely be visited. There is not much architectural detail to be seen, so not very interesting.

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