Castle of Xio

The Castle of Xio (Castell del Xiu) is a 12th-century Almohad fortress located atop a hillside in Llutxent, Valencia. Built with a distinctive triangular plan featuring double-walled enclosures, three towers, and an albarrana tower, it once monitored troop transit from the coast into the Kingdom of Valencia's interior. The name derives from the Arabic "jiwa," meaning valley or low area with water. Visitors can explore the remnants of a cistern that supplied water to its medieval inhabitants. After the Christian reconquest in the 13th century, the fortress lost its defensive function and gradually abandoned, leaving behind an important architectural reminder of the region's Almohad heritage.