At the top of an imposing hill stands the castle of Calatrava la Nueva, one of the most epic medieval fortresses in all of Spain. Its silhouette dominates the volcanic landscape of Ciudad Real, a strategic point in the Middle Ages that gave access to the entire Sierra Morena. This landscape, already beautiful in itself, is just a preview of the magnitude of this monumental complex, which goes far beyond a simple castle.
This enclave was the main headquarters of the Order of Calatrava, responsible for protecting the borders against the advance of Al-Andalus. After the victory at the Battle of Tolosa, they moved here and built this castle in 1213, which was also a convent, church and almost a defensive village. Therefore, the architecture fuses military and religious details in a very distinctive way.
The entire historical complex is organized into different staggered levels, all of them protected with four walls that are still in a very good state of conservation. In the first section lived the peasants, in the second and third the master craftsmen, in the fourth the clergy and in the last the nobles, soldiers and the treasury.
Of all the buildings and monuments that make up this Castle of Calatrava la Nueva, the Cistercian church from the 13th century stands out. This Romanesque, Gothic and Mudejar style temple has a huge rose window on the main façade that evokes the scenes of King's Landing in 'Game of Thrones'. It also houses funerary chapels and a reliquary of the Order inside.
The Castle of Calatrava la Nueva is one of the few rock castles that still stands. It was abandoned in the 19th century, but declared a National Historical Monument and preserved for its visit, maintenance and restoration. Nowadays you can visit it from Tuesday to Sunday, paying an entrance fee of 4 euros.
