Castle of Doña Mencía
Built by the House of Córdoba
The Castle of Doña Mencía is a stratified historical document. It rises over a Neolithic settlement and a Roman villa, controlling the ancient Camino de Metedores.
Built in the 15th century by the House of Córdoba, it served as a frontier stronghold, a ducal oil mill, and a literary setting immortalized by Juan Valera. Its walls preserve legends of the Great Captain and archaeological secrets spanning millennia.
Secrets and Curiosities
Between documented history and romantic legend, the castle reveals its true secrets.
Legend and the literature of Juan Valera place here the imprisonment and romance of the young Great Captain. Although real family conflicts existed, the romance is a beautiful literary invention.
Although it is said the name honors Mencía López de Haro, wife of a 13th-century captain, the present town is a 15th-century foundation. The name is a later genealogical homage.
Beneath the parade ground, Neolithic “double-axe” idols (2000 BC) were found, revealing that the hill was a sacred place thousands of years before the castle.
In the 17th century, the fortress lost its military role and became an industrial oil mill. The Duke forced his vassals to mill their harvest there.
Writer Juan Valera turned this castle into the setting of his works, calling the town “Villabermeja.” His stories fixed the romantic legends in collective memory.
Excavations have uncovered plasterwork with Nasrid Arabic decoration. Christian lords of the 15th century decorated their palaces by imitating the luxury of the Alhambra.
Architecture of the Castle of Doña Mencía
A trapezoidal castle-palace that combines active defense with residential refinement.
This imposing rectangular volume is the most prominent element. Located on the eastern side, it served as the last bastion and the lordly residence. Inside, a vaulted chamber with an octagonal dome on pendentives reveals the architectural refinement of the House of Córdoba, seeking to emulate a palatial style.
The corners of the enclosure are defended by circular-plan towers. This typology, more advanced than the square one, offered greater resistance to the artillery of the time and eliminated dead angles, allowing more effective defensive fire along the walls.
Within the parade ground, the remains of a 17th-century oil mill are preserved. The large grinding stones and pressing structures bear witness to the castle’s transformation: from war machine to a center of economic production controlled by the Duke.
The Keep has been restored to host the Historical-Archaeological Museum. Its rooms display pieces recovered in the castle itself and its surroundings, from Neolithic idols to medieval pottery, recounting the continuous occupation of the hill.
The central space organizes the whole complex. Excavations have revealed that beneath the current level, structures from different periods overlap: from prehistoric huts to the foundations of palatial rooms with Mudéjar decoration, showing the domestic evolution of the fortress.
The castle was not isolated, but part of the town’s defensive system. Sections of the urban wall that began at the fortress are preserved, embracing the original settlement core and controlling access to the Camino de Metedores.
Chronological History
Neolithic Sanctuary
Prehistoric occupation of the hill. Ritual stone idols are deposited, marking the place as sacred millennia before the castle.
Roman Villa
A rural Roman villa exploits the land agriculturally. Its foundations lie beneath the current medieval fortress.
Founding of the Castle
Diego Fernández de Córdoba orders the construction of the current fortress to consolidate his lordship on the border with Granada.
The Oil Mill
With its military function lost, the enclosure is transformed into a ducal oil mill, a symbol of economic power over the town.
Literary Myth
Juan Valera immortalizes the castle in his novels, creating the romantic legend of the Great Captain’s captivity.
Historical Museum
Restored and musealized, the castle houses the Historical-Archaeological Museum and is the cultural center of Doña Mencía.
Image Gallery
Plan Your Visit
“Step into the history of the Castle of Doña Mencía”
Opening Hours and Visits
Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 – 14:00
Free guided tours: Saturdays 10:30 and 12:00
Sundays and public holidays: Check availability
Information and Reservations
Free Entry
Tourist Office: 661 86 84 41
oficinadeturismo@donamencia.es
C/ Juan Valera, 12 (Edificio del Pósito)
Don’t miss
The Historical-Archaeological Museum and the “Streets of Flowers” Route
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