Spain · 12th century
The Castillo de Elda is a historic fortress situated at Elda, in the province of Alicante, in Spain. Erected in the 12th century by the Almohads, it was enlarged after the Christian reconquest in the 13th century. Over the centuries it served as the residence of noble families such as the Coloma, who turned it into a comital palace in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The castle, classified as an Asset of Cultural Interest, stands on a hill overlooking the river Vinalopó. Its architecture combines Islamic and Christian elements, notably ten quadrangular towers, a medieval and Renaissance chapel, an underground cistern and a 15th-century comital staircase.
After a period of decline, restoration works were undertaken, and the site is now open to the public.
Machine-translated from “Château d'Elda” on the French Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Castillo de Elda ranks #6,094 of 9,035 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #270 of the 606 mapped in Spain. Founded c. 1200, it is older than 75% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 763 atlas entries founded in the 12th century. 9 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Elche, 25 km away. See how Spain compares in the castle statistics.
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