The Castillo de la Luna of Huete !!!

Posted in Europe, Spain

A sentimental town of Huete, an area that will remain in my heart. I , of course, know it well, coming here with my family was huge. An opportunity to show them the roots and having just a great time. One of the quant towns we visited in the last several years ,and have other posts but saw these pictures mix in with other posts and they should have a post of their own for you and me, Therefore, here is my take on the Castillo de la Luna of Huete !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Castillo de la Luna was encircled by fifteen outer towers and one tower located within the walls. The main tower, situated at the southeastern end, was the largest and is the only one to have undergone partial restoration in the 20C the largest in the citadel, measuring approximately 12 meters in height and 22 meters in diameter. Inside, the site preserves remains of rock-cut silos, a large cistern divided into two compartments, and traces of water channels. Sections of the old wall that once descended toward the town itself can still be identified at various points. The fortress was constructed primarily using sillarejo or rough-hewn stone, partly reusing materials from the Roman city of Julia Opta. At the summit of the hill stands the monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, built with stones from the castle itself, a site of special significance during traditional celebrations such as the Holy Week night pilgrimage.

The walls extending from the main tower featured smaller towers dating from the Emirate (9C) and Caliphate (10C) periods roughly 4 meters high and 3 meters deep constructed with stones laid as headers and featuring a three-stepped batter at their base. A wall section featuring five towers originated at the northern tower, encircling the town before connecting to the southern end of the castle. Inside the complex lie five grain silos and a cistern with a surface area of ​​approximately 25 m², divided into two compartments. The Castle is owned by the town, and freely accessible via a wide path that begins at the highest point of the Atienza neighborhood and ends at the hilltop; there, Only a few standing walls remain ; remnants of the town’s defensive perimeter and the reconstructed southeast tower, along with interior structures such as the silos, cistern, and drainage channels.

The Castillo de la Luna or Castle of the Moon still watches over the Alcarria region of Cuenca today. Its ruins, steeped in centuries of history, preserve the memory of the Iberians, Romans, Visigoths, Muslims, and Christians who made this site a crucial strategic enclave. It is a hilltop alcazaba or fortress with a highly elongated rectangular layout that conforms to the contours of the terrain. Its origins date back to a pre-Roman settlement evidenced by Bronze Age remains, and later to the Roman city of Julia Opta, a site linked to the mining of *lapis specularis*, the crystallized gypsum so characteristic of the area. In the 9C, Muslims built the alcazaba of Wabda atop these earlier remains, reinforcing a site that had long served a defensive purpose. The Islamic alcazaba reached its peak between the 9C and 10C, protected by a formidable wall featuring numerous towers. In 1174, the castle withstood an Almohad siege, becoming a symbol of Huete’s defense. Following the Christian conquest by Alfonso VII in 1150, the fortress was renovated and became known as the Castillo de la Luna or Castle of the Moon, playing a pivotal role during the border conflicts of the 12C. As the Christian frontier advanced southward, the fortress lost its strategic importance and began a slow decline into abandonment, eventually becoming the ruins we see today.
The Huete tourist office on its heritage : https://www.turismohuete.com/que-ver/

A specialise Spanish site on fortresses of Spain on the Castle of Huete : https://castillosricsol.es/castillo-de-huete/

The Castilla La Mancha region tourist office on the castle of Huete : https://www.turismocastillalamancha.es/es/cultura-y-patrimonio/castillos/cuenca/castillo-de-huete-(alcazaba-de-wabda)

There you go folks, another dandy road warrior trip by yours truly, this were memorable trips with the whole family and always looking forward to be back to Huete with the boys and our dog Rex, eventually, This is in country deep Spain and we love it !! Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Castillo de la Luna of Huete !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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