Castillo de Petrer

The castle stands on high ground north of the built-up area of Petrer, at around 500 metres above sea level, looking out over the whole Vinalopó valley. It dates from the late 12th or early 13th century, when Arab builders raised a fortress here — probably over an earlier watchtower — giving rise to the settlement then known as Bitrir. Together with other nearby strongholds, it controlled one of the natural passes leading from the Vinalopó valley into the interior of the peninsula.

The fortress played an active part in the Mudéjar revolts of the 13th century, and in 1296 King Jaime II brought it into the Crown of Aragon, as this border territory was divided between Aragon and Castile. It has been a listed Bien de Interés Cultural since 1983.

What survives today

The enclosure keeps a polygonal layout with masonry walls and ashlar-stone corners, rammed-earth sections separated by a central tower and corner bastions, and a large square keep of two floors plus a basement, which served as a cistern under Islamic rule and later as a prison. The vaulted hall inside, once used for feudal gatherings, today hosts events such as the town's Guitar Week concerts and civil weddings. The complex was rebuilt in 1982, with further work carried out in 2010. At sunset, the views from its battlements over the Vinalopó valley are one of the main draws for those who climb up to the enclosure.

At the foot of the castle, cut into its own wall, are the Casas-Cueva, and a short walk away, in the old town, the Iglesia de San Bartolomé. Together with the Castillo de La Mola in Novelda, it belongs to the string of fortifications along the Vinalopó valley that often feature in day trips from Alicante.