Castillo El Vacar

The castle of El Vacar stands on a hill next to the village of the same name, in the municipality of Espiel. From the top you can enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the sierra, bathed by the River Guadiato and the Puente Nuevo reservoir. It dates from the Caliphate period, although it is not known for certain whether it was built in the time of al-Hakam II or before. In the 13th century it was conquered by Ferdinand III the Saint, who handed it over to the city of Córdoba. Fragments of pottery of Iberian tradition with banded decoration and fragments of sigillata have been found in the area around the site, so that the occupation of the hilltop where the present-day castle of El Vacar is located may date from the High-Imperial period. Some local historians identify the site with the ancient Roman mansion of Melloría, located in a strategic position on the Corduba-Emerita Augusta road. The medieval enclosure must have been built to control the road that linked the towns of Córdoba with Badajoz (Ruta de la Plata) as it passed through Dar al-Baqar. All that remains is the enclosure and the crumbling remains of its eight towers. Today it is used as a sheepfold.