Salvatierra Castle is a fortification near Calzada de Calatrava in the south of the province of Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha in Spain. It is located on a small hillock at the foot of the volcanic Mount Atalaya, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Calzada de Calatrava.
History
After the Battle of Alarcos in which the Order of Calatrava was defeated by the Alomhades, the scattered remains of Castilian knights sheltered in the Cistercian monastery of Cirvelos, and there began to regroup and expand. They erected Salvatierra Castle as a new bulwark, where they took the name the Knights of Salvatierra (1198) for the following 14 years. But Salvatierra itself fell to the Almohad Caliphate in 1209.

Salvatierra Castle

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This magnificent castle-monastery looms high in the sky some 6km south of the town of Calzada de Calatrava and 30km south of Almagro, from where it once controlled the path into the Sierra Morena and Andalucía. A steep cobbled road takes you to the top, where you can alternate gazing at expansive views with exploring this extraordinary castle-cum monastery in closer detail. Highlights include the vast basilica and the chapter hall with its coffins and segment from an original mural.
The complex was once headquarters for the Calatrava Knights, Spain’s oldest military order, founded in 1158 to challenge Moorish power in Iberia. Their original base was Calatrava La Vieja, located 60km to the north, a castle twice snatched audaciously from the Moors. As the Christians pushed further into Moorish territory following Alfonso VIII’s victory in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, the Calatrava Knights commissioned this newer citadel in 1217 built using the labour of prisoners caught in the battle.
You can explore the castle on your own or opt for a guided tour (in Spanish), which is included in the price.
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