Castle of Bujalance (originally, Bury al-Hans ("tower of the snake") is a castle located in the town of Bujalance, in Andalucia southern Spain, in the province of Córdoba. It was built in the 10th century during the Caliphate of Abd-ar-Rahman III. It is a clear example of Muslim military architecture in Al-Andalus. It subsequently underwent several modernizations, most recently in 1512, which were paid for by Queen Joanna of Castile. It is rectangular in shape, measuring 59 metres (194 ft) north-south and 51 metres (167 ft) east-west. The castle's original name, "tower of the snake", and the fact that it had seven towers, led to the current name of the city and its coat of arms. In 1963, the Ministry of Culture declared the site a Bien de Interés Cultural monument. Currently, its courtyard is used as a cultural space, which is in the process of being cataloging, restored and reconstructed. Highlights include the Festival of Theatre, Music and Dance (Nights at the Citadel) and Andalusian Dinner during the summer months.

Castle of Bujalance

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El castillo de Torreparedones, localizado en plena campiña cordobesa, en concreto en los términos municipales de Baena y Castro del Río (Córdoba, España), responde al tipo de fortaleza medieval de planta simple, cuadrada y con torreones en las esquinas. Los primeros datos de las fuentes hacen referencia al siglo XIII, momento en el que se documenta uno de los cambios de propiedad, mientras que el último documentado es ya del siglo XV.
Esta fortificación se encuentra inserta dentro del yacimiento de Torreparedones, cuyo origen se remonta a época calcolítica, desarrollándose hasta época medieval, con algunos hiatos.
Descripción
Este castillo presenta planta de forma cuadrada, con muros de mampostería, realizados con piedras labradas dispuestas en hileras fundamentalmente a tizón. Las esquinas se refuerzan con torres cuadradas, en general macizas en su base y con cámaras abovedadas en su parte superior. La que se conserva en mejor estado es la ubicada en el ángulo sureste. Esta se realiza en la misma fábrica que el resto del castillo, y actualmente se observan en tres de sus caras la apertura de un vano, e internamente consta de dos cuerpos, en este caso el inferior no es macizo, sino que se hallan dos estancias con restos de una bóveda baída encofrada de mortero como cubierta.
Por otro lado sólo se destaca la presencia de un aljibe abovedado en el interior del recinto, en concreto en el patio de armas, mientras que al exterior el castillo en sí mismo se refuerza con una línea de muralla, realizada en mampostería con piedras más o menos regulares y unidas con mortero.
Historia
En cuanto a los datos históricos, las fuentes hablan de que dicho castillo tuvo población árabe y cristiana hasta 1386. En el año 1269 Alfonso X el Sabio lo dona, gracias a los servicios prestados, a Fernán Alonso de Lastres, alcalde de Baena, pero posteriormente el hijo de éste lo vende al señor de Espejo y Castro el Viejo para pagar su rescate. Otra fecha puntual es el año 1328, en el que se tiene constancia de que el Consejo de Córdoba solicita que deje de estar en las manos de Pedro Díaz de Aguayo, momento en el que pasa a estar bajo la protección del alguacil mayor de Córdoba, Fernández Alvarez.
Los últimos datos históricos indican que a mediados del siglo XV Luis Portocarrero, señor de Palma, lo toma en nombre de Enrique IV de Castilla, pasando a manos de este último formalmente en el año 1469.
Conservación
En 2015 se restauró la torre del castillo y se hizo visitable al público, a la vez que se dispuso un mirador en la cubierta con vistas al yacimiento y a la campiña.

Castillo de Torreparedones

Lopera Castle has recovered its original appearance and avoided the logical damage caused by the passing of time to be ranked by researchers as a fortress that is one of the treasures of defensive architecture. This is why, when visitors enter through its main gate, located opposite the Town Hall and leading to the complex, the image they see is very similar to what any locals would have seen in the 13th century. It was during this century when the Order of Calatrava transformed and created the new construction on the site of a Moorish fortification that protected the settlement's inhabitants.
Located right in the town centre, the castle, which has a pentagonal floor plan, has two parts: one external comprising stretches of wall and protected by five towers, and another internal where two impressive towers called San Miguel and Santa María respectively stand and are connected to each other by two walls. San Miguel Tower was used to control access to the palace. On this tower you can still see the damage caused by a projectile launched during the Spanish Civil War. Today, on the ground floor of the tower you will find a museum dedicated to the Battle of Lopera. On the other hand, Santa María Tower had two superimposed rooms. The lower room was transformed into a Gothic chapel during works carried out in the 16th century to turn the castle into a noble residence and, in the 20th century, it was renovated once more by the owners to provide a sitting room.
In the middle of the last century, a wine cellar was created inside the fortress, and this notably affected the original physiognomy of the fortress. Among others, for example, the postern or false gate which existed was crumbling, the body of the Santa María bell tower was dismantled and replaced by battlements, and a large nave and a hopper for collecting grapes were built. Recently, the palace was opened to the public and today you can enjoy a visitor centre dedicated to the Order of Calatrava, the Battle of Lopera and the recent history of the castle as a winery.
http://www.andalucia.org