Spain · 6th century
Reccopolis (Spanish: Recópolis; Latin: Reccopolis), is an archaeological site located near Zorita de los Canes, a small village in the province of Guadalajara, Spain. It represents one of the Visigoth cities founded in Iberia during the post-Roman period.
Established by Visigothic king Liuvigild, who ruled Iberia in 568–586 AD, Reccopolis is one of only two cities in Western Europe known to have been founded between the fifth and eighth centuries. Its remains serve as a case study for understanding the ideas and ideals of a city in Late Antiquity, reflecting influences from classical Roman models.
Discovered in the 1890s, the site underwent archaeological excavations starting in the 1940s under Juan Cabré, with ongoing efforts revealing the monumental area within the walled enclosure. Notable remains include an aqueduct located 2 km to the east, recognized as the first new, urban aqueduct in the Iberian Peninsula in two centuries and the last built in the Roman way.
Text adapted from “Reccopolis” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reccopolis ranks #808 of 9,079 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #32 of the 607 mapped in Spain. Founded 578, it is older than 96% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 39 atlas entries founded in the 6th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 6,996 times in the last 60 days, more than 90% of the atlas. 3 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Guadalajara, 42 km away. See how Spain compares in the castle statistics.
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