Almodovar del Rio
It was the Arabs who in 740 built the fort on the site of a previous Roman one, as these things are generally done. They called it Al-Mudawwar, meaning both ‘round’ and ‘safe’.
In 1240 the castle became Christian, during Fernando III’s reign.
Both the Order of Calatrava and the Order of Santiago have been previous owners and landlords.
King Pedro I of Castilla, known affectionately in his family as ‘Pedro the Cruel,’ would sometimes keep his treasure there, and also kept his step brother’s wife, Doña Juana de Lara, there under lock and key.
The castle was restored between 1901 and 1936 by the 12th Count of Torravala.
The castle also represents High Garden in the 7th series of Game of Thrones, when Jamie Lannister sacks and loots the place.
