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Reconquista Frontier Castles
Stone fortress systems built along the Castile–Granada emirate frontier to control trade routes, garrison cavalry, and deter Muslim forces.
Timeline
- 1100–1294Southern Castilian frontier · CastileAs the Kingdom of León–Castile pushed south, stone castles and towers were built on hilltops and river valleys north of the Guadalquivir to garrison knights and control pastures and trade routes.
- 1297–1301Castile–Granada frontier · CastileAfter the 1297 Treaty of Alcañices fixed the Castile–Portugal border, the crown and local lords redeployed defenses, reinforcing existing castles and adding watchtowers to counter raids from Granada.
- 1301–1310Molina–Jaén frontier zone · Granada frontierDuring Ferdinand IV's reign, frontier castles served to garrison cavalry, levy tolls, and shelter herds, becoming forward bases for the Reconquista's southward advance and symbols of local noble power.
Sources
- Treaty of Alcañices https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Alca%C3%B1ices
- Reconquest and Crusade in Medieval Spain — Joseph F. O'Callaghan (2003)
- Castile, Portugal, and Navarre — Peter Linehan (2019)