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Castilian Reconquista Fortresses

Type Object Region Iberian Peninsula Time c. 1200–1492

A 14th-century system of castles and fortresses built and reinforced on Castile's Andalusian frontier, blending Roman, Islamic and Gothic defenses to…

Timeline

  1. 1200–1248Around Seville · AndalusiaNasrid and Almohad regimes retained and modified Islamic-style castles (alcázar) on the frontier, with thick walls, towers and inner courtyards forming the defensive core, providing a foundation for later Christian takeover.
  2. 1331–1340Alcalá la Real Castle · Province of JaénAfter the Battle of Teba (1330), Alfonso XI continued pressuring Granada, reinforcing frontier castles such as Alcalá la Real, adding stone bastards, arrow slits and garrison quarters as nodes for southern assembly and supply.
  3. 1342–1344Algeciras-Gibraltar front · Province of CádizThe Castile-Aragon coalition used frontier fortresses as staging bases to prepare the siege of Algeciras; the fortresses handled troop transfer, siege-engine storage and coordination of the naval blockade, showing a shift from pure defense to offensive support.

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