Castle of Biar
castle
The Castle of Biar stands on a hillock overlooking the town of Biar, in the comarca of Alt Vinalopó (Valencian Community, Spain).
History
During the Muslim rule had already news but few of the fortress, which began to be relevant to the time of James I of Aragon, remain as border castle under the Treaty of Almizra. The building lost its role during the early modern period and, although rarely used, after was used as a cemetery. It was declared a Monumento Nacional in 1931 and is in the call Route of the Castles of Vinalopó.
Structure
The castle was built in stone with masonry and rammed earth, which was used for the tower of homage. The building consists of two parts. On the one hand, a semicircular enclosure with four towers at the corners thereof, and on the other, a space with four cubic structures and the tower of homage. These towers and other structures are the basic defenses of the castle, and its position high on a rocky hill, the proliferation of small openings in its walls and battlements auction.
The tower of homage is the highlight of the architectural complex. Dating from the 12th century, the tower, situated on one side, was built with mortar mixture of sand and lime and reaches a height of 19 metres (62 ft).
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Castle of Biar” as castle. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as castle. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q269470. VIAF identifies the subject as 316735491. Authority coordinates are 38.631, -0.765. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1931.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Castle of Biar”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Castle of Biar primary sources, Castle of Biar archive and Castle research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Castle of Biar”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Castle of Biar” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.