Iberian Castle Defense Network

Timeline

1. 1050–1200Castilian Plateau · CastileIn the 11th and 12th centuries, Christian kingdoms promoted Romanesque castles centered on stone keeps and walls to consolidate newly conquered territory and control key routes, establishing the basic paradigm of peninsula castle architecture.
2. 1291–1300Jaén–Granada frontier · JaénIn the late 13th century, Castile densely built or reinforced castles along the frontier facing Granada, with fortresses at places like Almada and Baeza coordinating with chains of watchtowers to form a defense-in-depth network controlling mountain passes and river valleys.
3. 1295–1350Southern Iberian frontier · SpainCastles not only served military garrisoning but, together with walled repopulated towns and outlying farmland, formed a composite defense ring; garrison troops, farmers, and military-order knights formed an interdependent frontier social structure.