Castle of Almodóvar del Río

Listen for a moment. Up here the wind moves steadily over the stone, and below you a river valley spreads out in pale greens and dusty golds. The walls under your hand are warm and rough, the colour of dry earth. This is the Castle of Almodóvar del Río, and it has been watching this valley for well over a thousand years.

Look down first, before you look up. The town of Almodóvar del Río sits at the foot of the hill, a cluster of white houses and terracotta roofs. Beyond it runs the Guadalquivir, the great river of Andalusia, flowing towards Seville and the Atlantic. This hill was chosen for a reason. Whoever held it could see anyone moving along the river, and anyone moving along the roads beside it.

The story of the castle begins in the Islamic period, when much of the Iberian Peninsula was ruled from nearby Córdoba. Córdoba was then one of the largest and most cultured cities in Europe, the capital of the Umayyad rulers of al-Andalus — the Arabic name for Muslim Spain. A fortress on this hill helped guard the approaches to that capital. The first stronghold here dates to roughly the eighth century, early in that era.

Here is a detail many visitors miss. The name of the town likely comes from Arabic. Many historians connect Almodóvar to the word al-Mudawwar, often translated as "the round one" or "the encircled one". Some say it describes the rounded shape of the hill itself. So every time you say the name of this place, you are speaking a trace of the language that was spoken here more than a thousand years ago.

In the thirteenth century, the balance of power shifted. The Christian kingdom of Castile pushed south, and its king, Ferdinand the Third, took Córdoba and the surrounding lands. The castle passed into Castilian hands. Its role changed, but it did not lose its value. A strong fortress on a high hill stayed useful whoever held the keys.

In the fourteenth century, the castle is linked to another Castilian king, Peter the First. History remembers him with two nicknames — "the Cruel" to his enemies, and "the Just" to his supporters. According to the traditional account, Peter used Almodóvar as a secure place to keep part of his treasure, and also to hold prisoners. A remote, steep, heavily walled castle was well suited to both jobs.

Now turn and take in the towers. The castle is built around strong curtain walls, with towers of different shapes rising along them. Some are square, some are round. The tallest is the keep, the main tower, which in Spanish is called the Torre del Homenaje — the Tower of Homage. In medieval times, a lord would receive oaths of loyalty in a tower like this. If you climb it, the whole valley opens around you.

Here is the second surprise. Much of what you see today looks perfectly medieval, but it owes a great deal to the early twentieth century. By the eighteen hundreds the castle had fallen into ruin. Then the Counts of Torralva, a noble family, began a long and careful restoration that ran for decades. They rebuilt walls, towers and rooms, trying to follow the old forms. So you are standing in a medieval castle that was also lovingly reconstructed by people living only a few generations ago.

That restoration is the reason the castle looks so complete from the road. Many castles in Andalusia survive only as broken walls on a hilltop. Here, the battlements are crisp, the courtyards are enclosed, and the towers stand at full height. It is worth keeping both layers in mind as you walk. Some stones are very old. Others were cut and placed with medieval castles as their model.

That complete, storybook shape has also made the castle a favourite of film and television crews. Fans of Game of Thrones may recognise it. In the seventh season, Almodóvar stood in for Highgarden, the seat of House Tyrell. Spain's southern castles have a long screen history, and this hilltop, with its clear outline against the sky, is easy to see why.

Every old castle collects stories, and Almodóvar is no exception. Locals tell the legend of Zaida, a Moorish princess. According to the tale, she was held in the castle and died there of grief. Legend has it that her ghost still walks the walls on one particular night each year, dressed in white. No record proves it, of course. But on a quiet evening, with the wind in the battlements, it is not hard to understand how the story survives.

As you explore, pay attention to the small things. Notice the narrow slits in the walls, made for archers to see out without being easily hit. Feel how the floor stones are worn smooth along the most used paths. Look at the way the walls follow the natural shape of the rock. The builders did not flatten the hilltop. They worked with it, and the castle seems to grow out of the stone.

Before you leave, find a quiet corner of the walls and look out once more. The olive groves run in long, even lines towards the hills. The river shines when the light catches it. Down below, the town goes about its ordinary day. People have stood exactly where you stand for more than a thousand years, watching this same valley. Take a breath of that wind... and then, as you walk back down the slope, turn around once. The castle looks different from below. Smaller, perhaps — but still keeping watch.