Castillo Alcázar

Castillo de Gibraleón, positioned on the left bank of the Odiel River in Huelva province, occupies a historic strategic location for controlling river traffic and the surrounding marshland ford. The archaeological site encompasses a trapezoidal walled enclosure covering nearly 5 hectares, featuring quadrangular towers with only four remaining visible today. The largest tower, quadrangular and built in rammed earth, dates from the 10th century. Arab medieval sources documented Gibraleón as a fortified city between the 11th and 12th centuries; over time it transformed from a purely defensive plaza into a noble residence—an alcázar. By the 14th century it became lordship land under Alfonso de la Cerda. The castle's strategic position served fundamentally to guard the road between Seville and Lisbon and protect passage of the Odiel River.