Castillo de Santa Catalina (Saint Catalina Castle) in Jaén Castillo de Santa Catalina (Saint Catalina Castle) sits on Cerro de Santa Catalina (Santa Catalina Hill) overlooking the city of Jaén. The castle has the most breathtaking panoramic views over the city itself and the beautiful surrounding countryside in the province of Jaén, right along the Guadalquivir Valley to the mountains ridges of the Sierra Morena. During the Roman occupation, around the time of Christ, city of Jaén was known as Aurigis, because of the silver mines in the area. When it was later conquered by the Moors its name was changed to Geen which is the Arabic for crossroads of caravans, an important trading route. The castle was originally built as an 8th Century Moorish fortress (Abrehuis), being renovated and improved by Abdallah ibn al-Ahmar, the Nasrid King who also built the Alhambra in the city of Granada. After King Ferdinand III of Castile captured the city of Jaén in 1246, after the Siege of Jaén, he commenced a transformation of the castle, including construction of what became known as the New Castle on the eastern extreme of the hill. The bulk of the work, however, took place under the reigns of Alfonso X and Ferdinand IV. There are five towers and a donjon, with one of the towers holding the Chapel of Saint Catalina. One of the last structures built during this period was the donjon, which was the work of Miguel Lucas de Iranzo, the Constable of Castile. The builders of the new castle used some of the towers and ramparts of the old fortress, and destroyed or replaced others. Many of the elements of the Old Castle were subsequently destroyed including a tower known as Hannibals Tower. Although some traces do remain along with a few remnants of the original fortress, now occupying the western extreme of the hill. The 17th century saw some interior remodelling of the buildings. Then in the early 19th century, Napoleonic forces occupying the area from France, built a gunpowder store, stables, hospital, offices, kitchen, and artillery platform. Little beyond the foundations remains of most of these today. On the top of the hill there is a monumental cross that recalls the cross that Ferdinand III had erected there. At the foot of the cross, engraved in the rock, is the Sonnet to the Cross by the poet Almendros Aguilar. The castle is nowadays the site of a parador (hotel) with a superb restaurant with outside terrace. Where it should be noted that General (President) Charles de Gaulle stayed while writing his memoirs.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 08:29:58 +0000
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