Discover 3 artworks in Baños de la Encina

The impressive silhouette of the castle of Bury al-Hamma dominates the rural landscape of the town of Baños de la Encina, flanked by a robust and crenellated wall with fourteen towers, plus a fifteenth or Christian Tower of Tribute, the castle has hardly suffered damage, constituting, therefore, the best preserved fortified complex of the Almohad era, while being one of the best preserved Muslim castles in all of Spain.

Already in the Copper Age (prehistory), the first vestiges of occupation of the site of the Castillo de Baños appear, in its interior, strong Iberian walls and a funerary mausoleum of a sacred character, give way to an Almohad urban complex (12th century), In addition to a double “water ark” or cistern.

The construction of the castle was as simple as it was durable, the walls rise from a tapial with a high proportion of lime, earth, Chinese river and water. 15 square towers form this colossus with a peculiar oval shape adapting its construction to the flush Cerro del Cueto.

After the excavations carried out, the Muslim presence from the emiral period can be verified, being the Castle, along with others nearby, rigid control of the Sierra Morena passages and the Guadiel depression during the 12th century.

It became definitely Castilian after the take in 1225 by Fernando III, adding the alcazarejo, wrapping and raising by stone one of the Arab towers, giving rise to the Tower of Homage or Fat Beacon. It was declared a National Monument in 1931.

Guided tour inside the Church of San Mateo, highlighting its bell tower of Gothic body, Renaissance door, inside a great altarpiece of Palma Burgos, highlighting especially the Tabernacle, the baptismal font and the pulpit.

The Baroque dressing room, typical example of the baroque plasterwork
By a staircase of no more than 20 steps, we will access an anteroom with baroque touches, stucco, mirrors and a mocarabe dome that shows us the way to the door of the Camarín. We enter the dressing room, culmen of the 17th Andalusian baroque. Exotic birds, garlands, angels, cherubs, niches, but above all mirrors, which are being followed from height from the ground floor polygonal makes close in impressive mocarabe vault.

In the dressing room the stucco and the stipe (stake or trunk used) were used, a technique also used in the famous Tabernacle of the Cathedral of Granada and the occasional monument that we will tell you in situ.