Terrinches Castle (Aben Yusef Tower)

He Terrinches Castle It stands at the highest point of the village, in the southeast of Campo de Montiel, at the gateway to the Sierra Morena mountains. Its position is intimately linked to the place: from here the landscape and two historical routes, the Royal Road of Andalusia and the road to Segura de la Sierra, were controlled.

The fortress may have had Andalusian origins, but the first record we have dates from 1243, when it is already mentioned among the sites of the Order of Santiago. At this initial time, a military compound may have existed, later destroyed in 1282 during a Muslim raid. From its ashes, the current castle was built, forming part of the Major Commandery of Castile. In the 15th century, it was involved in further conflicts, both with the Nasrids and in the Castilian civil wars. At the beginning of the 16th century, it lost its military function, being used as an agricultural center until, in the 21st century, it was restored and renovated.

Although only the great Keep remains visible today, the fortress was once quite large, expanded from the 13th to the 15th centuries. It had an outer wall, within which was located an orchard with a pool. Later, it was enclosed by a wide bastion and an artillery barrier, which led to the great tower, a testament to the power of the friars of Santiago.