Castle of Zahara de los Atunes and Palace of Jadraza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Castle of Zahara de los Atunes and Palace of Jadraza |
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| Native name Spanish: El Castillo de Zahara de los Atunes. Palacio de la Jadraza |
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| Location | Barbate and Zahara de los Atunes, Spain |
| Official name: El Castillo de Zahara de los Atunes. Palacio de la Jadraza | |
| Type | Non-movable |
| Criteria | Monument |
| Designated | 2004 |
| Reference no. | RI-51-0011064 |
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The Castle of Zahara de los Atunes and Palace of Jadraza is an old castle on the coast of Spain. Its Spanish name is El Castillo de Zahara de los Atunes. Palacio de la Jadraza. You can find it in Barbate and Zahara de los Atunes.
This castle had a very important job. It protected the local tuna traps, called Almadraba. It also played a bigger role in the area's defense. People know it by other names too, like Fortaleza o Castillo de la Chanca.
History of the Castle
In 1294, a king named Sancho IV of Castile gave permission to Alonso Pérez de Guzmán. He could build traps for tuna fishing. This was a reward for his brave defense of Tarifa. Fishing for tuna has been important in this area for a very long time. It goes back to ancient Phoenician and Roman times.
The Guzmán family's tuna fisheries in Zahara de los Atunes and Conil de la Frontera were very successful. For hundreds of years, they caught more tuna than almost anywhere else in Europe. This led to the building of many important structures, including this castle.
The Palace of Jadraza had three main uses. First, it was a strong castle to protect against pirates. These pirates were known as Barbary pirates. Second, it was a palace where people lived during the tuna fishing season. Third, it was a factory. Here, they processed all the tuna that was caught.
The castle is in a key spot near the Strait of Gibraltar. This location made it important in many historical events. It has always been a notable point on maps of the coast.
In the 1900s, the building was still used by the fishing industry. Later, it became a military barracks. In 2004, the castle was named a Bien de Interés Cultural. This means it is a protected historical site in Spain.
How the Castle is Built
The castle is shaped like a square. It has four strong defensive walls. On top of these walls is a narrow walkway with a low protective wall, called a parapet.
In the northwest corner, there is a tower called Torre de Poniente. This tower has a room inside with a high, domed roof. It also has a parapet on top. In the northeast, you can still see parts of another tower, de la Torre de Levante. Both towers were built to stick out. This allowed guards to look over the defensive walls.
The main entrance is in the west wall. There are also two gates facing the sea in the south wall. These gates originally led into a large open area inside the building. In the 1900s, a "New Gate" was added to the north wall. Other openings were also made over time as the building's use changed.
The castle is built from strong, regular stone blocks. These blocks are held together with a mix of lime and pebbles. The corners of the building have extra strong stonework. The three original stone doors were very large. They had curved tops with a special stone in the middle, called a keystone. Near the sea gates, there are two very thick supports, called buttresses. These were built inside to make the gates even stronger for defense.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Zahara de los Atunes para niños
