Cardenete castle: the Marquis of Moya's fortress

A castle for gunpowder

Unlike the district’s medieval castles, Cardenete’s dates from the 16th century. It overlooks the village from a small hill to the east. It measures 30.6 by 26.6 metres, with corner towers and walls almost three metres thick. It has two storeys, and the south-west tower had three. Its gunports are for firearms.

Unfinished work

A Marquis of Moya commissioned it between 1520 and 1540. The town council attributes it to Andrés de Cabrera, the first marquis, but Cabrera had died in 1511. In the 17th century it passed by marriage to the Marquises of Villena. It may never have been completed or inhabited: the ground floor is unlevelled bedrock.

A 2024 radio account dates the work to 1522, within that interval, without citing a document.

Plan your visit

It is the final stop on the Mycological Museum’s urban route «Del museo al bosque» (from the museum to the forest).

Combine with

The Asunción church and its Baroque organ. The lordship’s history is in Moya.

Frequently asked questions

Who commissioned it?

A Marquis of Moya, between 1520 and 1540. The town council attributes it to Andrés de Cabrera, the first, who had died in 1511. In the 17th century it belonged to the Marquis of Villena through marriage.

What is it like?

Rectangular, 30.60 by 26.60 m (about 1,309 m²), with corner towers, two storeys and gunports; the south-west tower had three storeys. The walls are about 2.8 m thick.

Where it is

Cardenete castle