Castulo facts for kids
Castulo was an ancient town in Iberia, which is now Spain. It was also a place where a bishop lived. Today, it's a special title for a bishop, located in the Andalusian province of Jaén, near the modern town of Linares.
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History of Castulo
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| Front side: A head with a crown. | Back side: A bull, with a crescent moon above it. The word KAŚTILO is written below. |
| A bronze coin made in Castulo before 214 - 212 BC. | |
People have lived in the area of Castulo since the Neolithic period, which was a very long time ago.
Castulo was the main city for the Oretani, an Iberian tribe. This tribe settled near the Guadalquivir River around 600 BC. A local princess from Castulo, named Himilce, married Hannibal. Hannibal was a famous general from the Carthaginian Empire. This marriage helped Castulo become an ally of Carthage.
In 211 BC, Castulo was the site of a big battle. Hasdrubal Barca, Hannibal's brother, won a huge victory there against the Roman army. Later, the Romans made a deal with the people of Castulo. The people of Castulo then stopped supporting the Carthaginians. Because of this, Castulo became an ally of Rome.
The town's name in the Middle Ages was Cazlona. Castulo became less important when the Islamic rulers took over Andalusia. At the same time, the nearby village of Linares grew bigger. Linares had a strong castle, first built by Arabs and then rebuilt by Christians.
In 1227, the walls of Castulo were destroyed. The town became empty shortly after that.
Religious History
A special church area called a Bishopric of Castulo was created around 350 AD. It was part of the larger area of Tucci. We know about Christian bishops from Castulo in the early 300s AD. They attended important church meetings, like the Council of Elvira.
The bishopric appeared again about 200 years later. In 589, a bishop from Castulo attended the third Council of Toledo. By then, Castulo was under Visigoth rule. Other bishops from Castulo attended later Visigoth councils until 656. After that, the area's main bishopric moved to Baeza.
Today, Castulo is no longer a place where a bishop lives. But the Catholic Church still lists it as a special title for a bishop. This is called a titular see. It means a bishop holds the title of Castulo, even though there isn't a church there anymore.
See also
In Spanish: Cástulo para niños
