Santiponce Itálica

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Castle de Aznalcóllar

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Aznalcóllar Castle, built in the Late Bronze Orientalising period, reached great splendour in Roman and Islamic times.

Aznalcóllar Castle was a Muslim fortress before the Reconquista of Seville in 1274 by Fernando III.

Aznalcóllar was a defensive enclave that grew over time. Initially, the Arabs and the native population protected themselves with a simple wall of materials without any constructive structure. Later, this defensive construction evolved, giving rise to the first castles with thicker, higher walls and flanking towers.

However, the town did not have a sophisticated defence system. The area facing the village, from the entrance gate to the cemetery, was the weakest, while the part facing the reservoir, on the opposite side, was its natural defence due to the steep slope.

The wall, and later the Castle, was meant to defend the residents of ancient Aznalcóllar who, despite their poor, subsistence economy (livestock and crops), suffered frequent looting.

The cistern, known as “La Tinaja”, a term of Arab origin, is one of the remarkable elements of this Castle. It was used to collect and store rainwater for drinking. During the Muslim period, it was the only supply of water available for entire neighbourhoods.

Of the few visible remains, the curtain walls on the northern slope, discovered during the archaeological excavation carried out in 1995, stand out.

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