Segura de la Sierra castle

The fortress of Segura de la Sierra, built by the Almohads on the remains of an old Roman watchtower, was conquered by the Christians in the mid 13th century. It was profoundly transformed by the Order of Santiago, which used the fortress as the headquarters of the Encomienda de Castilla, and it became the residence of the Grand Master of the Order of Santiago in the last quarter of the 15th century. It was the hub of one of the most important territorial and jurisdictional entities of Castile during the 13th to 15th centuries due to its privileged border enclave, a natural and cultural border territory between Muslim and Christian cultures.

The poet Jorqe Manrique lived in Segura since he was a child and this is where he wrote much of his work. Moreover, his father, Don Rodrigo de Marique, was the knight commander of Segura. This town was also a place of inspiration for Francisco de Quevedo, who is said to have even had an affair with a young woman from Segura.

The visit to the castle includes the entrance tower, the bailey, the Arab baths, the keep, the chapel, the cistern, the refectory and the adarves.