Jamila archaeological site

The Jamila archaeological site sits atop a small, prominent plateau overlooking the Jabalón River, in an open landscape that combines fertile plains, gentle hills, and cultivated fields. A visit allows you to discover one of the most unique archaeological sites in the area surrounding Villanueva de los Infantes, closely linked to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of La Antigua and the historical Jabalón corridor. Its location helps to understand the importance of this valley as a passageway, settlement, and agricultural area from Antiquity to the Middle Ages.

The visible remains consist mainly of a large 13th-century medieval building, rectangular in plan and oriented east-west, with a spacious interior defined by fourteen cylindrical columns. This monumental building has generated various interpretations, ranging from religious proposals to more functional ones, such as a possible storage space or communal use. Its scale, the regularity of its plan, and the presence of reused elements make the site a key location for understanding the medieval repopulation of the Campo de Montiel region and the first settlements linked to the Order of Santiago.

The tour of Jamila also reveals a longer history. Evidence dating back to the Iberian period has been identified, as well as later reuse of the medieval building as a domestic space or farmhouse. The documented fire during the building's final phase and the subsequent recovery of ashlar blocks and column drums speak of a site that was abandoned, transformed, and reused over time. Today, its aligned columns and the expansive landscape make the visit a direct exploration of the territory: archaeology, medieval history, and the Jabalón landscape all in one place.