Castillo y Torre del Reloj

Within the urban centre of Almadén de la Plata, two distinctive buildings stand out as evidence of the age and history of this municipality: the castle and the so-called “Clock Tower”.

The Castle of Almadén dates from the 14th century, and its construction served three purposes: to protect the Vía de la Plata, one of the region's main communication routes; to guarantee peace and security for the populations established there; and to control the area's important economic resources.

Following the Castilian conquest of the Sevillian Sierra Morena in the mid-13th century by King Ferdinand III “the Saint”, the territory of Almadén de la Plata was granted, together with that of other municipalities, to the Council of Seville. This institution was responsible for maintaining the stability of the territory, whose repopulation was essential for the consolidation of Castilian power.

A series of castles thus emerged, including that of Almadén de la Plata, whose purpose was to guarantee the free movement of people, livestock and goods along the mountain roads and the supply of provisions to the city of Seville, while also organising the scattered settlements of the area under the protection of a fortress.

This function was complemented by the control of an area rich in mineral and quarrying resources. The extraction of copper, silver and iron ores in the surroundings of Almadén is historically documented, activities that formed part of the economic exploitation of this area of Sierra Morena for centuries.

Its marble quarries, already exploited in Roman times, were particularly important. One of the main extraction sites was located on the nearby Cerro de los Covachos, where an ancient quarry face is still preserved.

The need to protect communications and control these resources helps to explain the castle's unusual location. Unlike many fortresses, situated in elevated and commanding positions, the Castle of Almadén de la Plata stands in a shallow valley, in the foothill area between Cerro de los Covachos and Cerro del Calvario. From this position, close to the inhabited settlement and the areas of extraction, the fortress could exercise direct control over the roads and their surroundings.

The castle was a military enclosure, small in size and quadrangular in plan, occupying an approximate area of 2,000 m². Over time, new buildings were erected on its site, eventually absorbing and concealing its walls, meaning that only part of the castle can be seen today. The original architectural elements have been best preserved along the northern wall. Among them, a square tower built of small ashlar blocks stands out, containing the bent entrance passage of the former fortress and its original gateway, constructed with a three-centred brick arch.

It is not known with certainty until when the castle maintained its military function. What is certain is that, by the end of the 15th century and especially during the following century, with the pacification of the territory, these structures lost their defensive role. The loss of their original function led to a period of abandonment and deterioration that, on many occasions, resulted in ruin. In the case of the Castle of Almadén de la Plata, historical sources tell us that, by the end of the 18th century, it was in an advanced state of deterioration, with its “foundations” visible. It was during this century that the elements still standing in the northern sector were used to construct a Municipal Granary intended for grain storage.

To adapt the former fortress as a granary, an arcade was built facing the defensive wall, allowing the construction of a raised bay whose purpose was to preserve the grain by isolating it from moisture. The building continued to be used as a warehouse until practically the end of the 20th century, with the last renovations dating from 1960. In 1997, the former granary was restored to serve as the Town Hall, making it possible to recover the surviving remains of the castle, exposing the original masonry and restoring the granary's most distinctive features, such as the 18th-century arcade.

A few metres from the castle lies Plaza del Reloj, where another of Almadén de la Plata's most emblematic buildings can be found: the “Clock Tower”. The building that houses the tower was originally the former Hospital of Los Ángeles, whose construction dates back to the 15th century and which became a hermitage in the 17th century. In modern times, it served as the Town Hall until its relocation to the former castle and granary.

The tower, square in plan and 27 metres high, was erected in 1905 on the façade of the former hospital and hermitage. This brick-built structure consists of several sections, accessed by a staircase located inside. On the ground floor is the entrance door, above which the old ceramic tile indicating that the Town Hall was located there is still preserved. A second section provides access to a balcony overlooking the square. In the upper section is the famous clock, whose faces appear on two of its sides and which continues to mark the hours today. Finally, the tower is crowned by a small rooftop terrace with a parapet, above which rises the bell tower.

This building is one of the most recognisable in the town: its slender silhouette, distinctive Neo-Mudéjar style and characteristic colours, red on the walls and white in the details, make it stand out from the surrounding buildings as an emblem of Almadén de la Plata.

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