Atalaya Castle ( Spain ) The Atalaya Castle ( Spanish : " Castillo de la Atalaya " or " Castillo de Villena " ) is a castle in Villena , province of Alicante , southern Spain . Located over a spur of the Sierra de la Villa , in the north - western part of the province of Alicante , it commands the former frontier between Castile and Kingdom of Aragon . History . The castle was built in an unknown age , although not after the 12th century , since Arab sources mention it in 1172 . It has been speculated that the fortification could have been built over a Roman " castrum " or villa , but no proofs of this have been found . The castle was an important stronghold on the northern frontier of the Islamic emirate of Iberia , and resisted to three different sieges laid by James I of Aragon . He was finally able to conquer it in 1240 , although the castle was handed over to the Kingdom of Castile after the Treaty of Almizra of 1244 . It was first given to the Order of Calatrava , but was soon acquired by the infante Manuel when he became lord of Villena . Here resided his son , writer Juan Manuel , Prince of Villena , who was succeeded as proprietor by Alfonso of Aragon and Foix , the first Marquis of Villena . In 1476 the citizens of Villena , encouraged by the bigot Catholic Monarchs , rebelled against the marquisses and killed numerous Jews and " conversos " who had taken refuge in the castle . After this event , the castle stopped to be residence of the marquisses , and , together with the city , became a royal possession . During the Revolt of the Brotherhoods ( 1519 – 1523 ) , viceroy Diego Mendoza took refuge in the fortress after his defeat at Gandía , and from here set out the troops which restored the royal power in Spain . During the War of Spanish Succession ( 1701 – 1713 ) , 50 Bourbon loyalist troops sustained a siege of 8 days from Austrian units . The castle was abandoned after the loot perpetrated by the French Marshal Suchet in the course of the Peninsular War ( early 19th century ) . A first restoration was carried out in 1958 . The castle is now in good conditions and is the centre of the yearly Moros y Cristianos feast . The castle was declared a Historical - Artistic Monument in 1931 . Description . The entrance of the castle is oriented to NW ; two other entrances are now closed . Across the upper part of the external wall is a chemin - de - ronde connecting all the towers . Within the inner gate remains have been excavated , which are thought to belong to Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Snow , whose existence was known from written documents . The fortress has a concentric plan , with an inner and higher line of walls forming a square , and with a rectangular barbican forming a larger inner space in front of the keep . The inner square polygonal in plan , with round towers at the corners , aside from one which is occupied by the keep . These walls were built in the Almohad era , and were covered in the 15th century by order of Don Juan Pacheco . Over this sector is another path leading to the keep . The latter and the towers have rectangular merlon s . The keep is quite higher than the other fortifications . Its lower sections were built in Almohad times using the rammed earth technique . The small entrance lead to a 7x7 m hall , whose walls have an average thickness of 3 . 5 m , and which is covered by an Almohad ceiling from the 12th century . The stairs leading to the upper sections house a reproduction of a graffitoed khamsa , the original being in Villena ' s Museum . The mid hall has also an Almohad ceiling . The two upper sections were built in the mid - 15th century