Castillo de Moclín
During the Nasrid reign, Moclín Castle was formerly known as 'Hisn Al-Muqlin' (Fortress of the Two Pupils), alluding to its clear role as a permanent sentinel. Dating from the Nasrid period, the castle was built in the mid-fourteenth century using elements from an earlier period. It was constructed as a border castle between the Kingdoms of Granada and Castile.
Following the Castilian conquest of the fortresses of Alcaudete (1340), Alcalá la Real and Castillo de Locubín (1341), the Castillo de Moclin occupied a central position in the defence of the Nasrid Kingdom. These three fortresses were the main bastions of the defensive network in this sector. In 1486, it came under the control of the Catholic Monarchs. The castle forms part of the grounds of the fortified town itself. This enclosure is divided into two. The lower part corresponds to the town itself and is surrounded by a wall of rubble masonry reinforced with ashlar at the corners and crenellated with adobe. The wall features a large, double-bent entrance tower, and buildings such as the Iglesia de la Encarnación are located within this enclosure.
The second enclosure is the castle or citadel itself, which is surrounded by a double wall on its southern side. The outer wall is also built of masonry, like the rest of the walls, but the inner wall is made of adobe. The northern part is the largest as it faced the Christian lands of Alcalá la Real following the Pact of Jaén. Located at an altitude of 1,100 metres above sea level, the upper part of the enclosure contains the keep, which was originally built of adobe but was later reinforced with masonry. The enclosure also has two cisterns: one large and well-preserved, and a second smaller cistern which is largely destroyed. There are no remains of rooms or dwellings, although there were once some. The castle’s defensive network is completed by a series of optic towers that controlled access to the fortress village. The following towers remain standing today: Mingoandrés Watchtower, Porqueriza Watchtower, Mesa Watchtower, La Solana Watchtower and Gallina Watchtower. Having deteriorated as a result of bombing during the Spanish Civil War, the castle was partly restored in 2013 by the regional government. It is located on Calle Mota.