In the quiet town of Cañete de las Torres, in the province of Córdoba, stands a castle that’s seen centuries pass by. While much of it has blended into the modern town, a few towers still stand tall.

What you see today

Most of the original castle has been replaced by houses. Only two towers remain: the main keep and a northwestern tower. The rest lives on in fragments — foundation stones, scattered wall sections, and subtle traces around the northern part of the courtyard.

The main highlight? The tribute tower. Still proudly upright, it guards the entrance to what was once the House of Aguilar. It has a rectangular layout and two vaulted rooms stacked one above the other. These are finished with brick rib vaults, a sign of its sturdy medieval design.

Details in stone

At the top, there’s a rooftop terrace with a 15th- or 16th-century ajimez. That’s a type of double-arched window resting on a central column. Around it, you’ll spot a decorative alfiz with a subtle chain motif. The entrance is through a raised horseshoe arch, leading to a door set in a lowered arch.

Look closely and you’ll see five stone supports on the tower. These once held machicoulis — medieval defense structures used to drop objects on invaders. They’re gone now, but the signs remain.

From Romans to royals

This castle stands on layers of earlier history. It was built in the 14th century, but the foundations go back to a Roman structure. The Moors built a fortress here too, later taken over by Christian forces. In 1236, it was listed in the surrender of Aben Hud, though it likely changed hands earlier under Sancho IV. In 1377, Enrique II gave it to Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba.

The tribute tower, the best-preserved part, is a reminder of those eventful centuries — and a solid piece of medieval engineering.

source: www.castillosnet.org