Monturque Castle
The Chacón Tower of Monturque
In the geographic heart of Andalusia stands a unique monumental complex. On the witness hill of Monturque, an Iberian oppidum, a monumental Roman city possibly called Spalis, and a seigniorial medieval fortress overlap.
But its greatest secret lies underground: an immense Roman cistern discovered during a cholera epidemic in the 19th century. Today, this “San Rafael Cemetery” is European Heritage, uniting life, death, and history in a single precinct.
Secrets and Curiosities
From a Roman “cathedral of water” to the DNA of a pandemic, Monturque is an open book.
Beneath the cemetery hide the Roman Cisterns (1st century AD), a complex of 850,000 liters. With three naves and intact barrel vaults, it is a masterpiece of hydraulic engineering.
The cisterns were discovered in 1885 while expanding the cemetery due to a cholera epidemic. Recent DNA analyses confirmed the presence of the bacterium in the graves from that era.
Monturque is a pioneer in “necrotourism.” Its annual Mundamortis days celebrate funerary and gastronomic culture, highlighting the unique cemetery over Roman ruins.
The Chacón Tower has a pentagonal “prow” plan, designed to deflect projectiles and eliminate blind spots, an advanced defensive innovation for its time.
A legend placed a tower here where El Cid held Count García Ordóñez prisoner. Tragically, the archaeological remains of this site were destroyed by modern works.
What Roman city lies beneath Monturque? It is debated whether it was Soricaria or Spalis. The large public buildings found suggest a city of the first magnitude yet to be fully identified.
Architecture of the Fortress
A medieval fortress built on the foundations of a Roman metropolis, integrating imperial hydraulic engineering with feudal siege warfare.
Located in the center of the Parade Ground, this square-plan structure is the medieval heart of the castle. Built with regular ashlar masonry and vaults without pendentives, it served as the residence of the warden and last defensive redoubt, with its original access elevated for greater security.
This albarrana tower stands out for its pentagonal prow-shaped plan. Its advanced design allowed active defense, eliminating blind spots and deflecting enemy projectiles, an innovation ahead of its time in the military architecture of the area.
Beneath the castle floor lies one of the best-preserved Roman hydraulic works in Spain. A complex of three parallel naves covered by barrel vaults, with a capacity for 850,000 liters, built in waterproof opus caementicium.
The parade ground now houses the municipal cemetery, creating a unique symbiosis between military and funerary architecture. Integrated into the European Cemeteries Route, it offers a walk through history where tombs coexist with walls and the Roman subsoil.
Next to the cisterns, a large Roman cryptoporticus has been discovered. This underground structure served to overcome the unevenness of the terrain and create a monumental platform on which the public buildings of the forum of the ancient city stood.
The defensive perimeter preserves sections of wall and masonry towers. Its medieval layout overlaps and takes advantage of the previous defensive structures of the Roman city and the Islamic citadel, evidencing the strategic continuity of the hill.
Chronological History
Roman Splendor
Construction of the great cisterns, baths, and cryptoporticus. The city (possibly Spalis) reaches its High Imperial zenith.
Islamic Fortress
During the Fitna, Muladi rebels fortify the hill. Possible reform of hydraulic infrastructures.
Christian Conquest
Ferdinand III takes the stronghold. Construction of the medieval castle begins over the previous ruins to defend the frontier.
Lordship of Aguilar
The castle becomes part of the domains of the House of Aguilar (Fernández de Córdoba), consolidating their seigniorial power.
The Discovery
A cholera epidemic forces the expansion of the cemetery, accidentally discovering the monumental Roman cisterns.
European Heritage
The complex is integrated into the European Cemeteries Route and annually celebrates the Mundamortis days.
Image Gallery
Plan Your Visit
“Descend to the Cathedral of Water beneath the Castle”
Hours and Access
Monday to Friday: 8:00 – 15:00
Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays: 10:00 – 14:00
Guided tours by prior reservationInformation and Reservations
Tourist Office: 957 53 56 14
turismomonturque@gmail.com
Plaza de la Constitución, 3 (City Hall)
Don’t Miss
The Roman Cisterns, the San Rafael Cemetery, and the Paseíllos Viewpoint.
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