DESCRIPTION

It was the residence of the famous warlord Al-Azraq and from there he led several uprisings, being the last stronghold to surrender to King Jaume I.

From the morphological characteristics that can be observed, it may be an enclosure whose origin dates back to the Muslim period, with later reforms and transformations carried out in the Christian period.
Existing studies refer to the existence of remains dating from the 11th to the 16th century.
It is located at the top of a hill whose topographical height reaches 910 metres. The mound is a promontory that juts out steeply from the steep slopes that surround it, although to the west the terrain softens and approaches the place that makes it possible to cross to the other side of the valley.
The hill is next to the road that connects the valley with Planes on one side and Pego on the other, from where the path leading to the castle starts.
The castle has an irregular ground plan, whose walls are adapted to the different topographical levels. The lower two are larger and the upper one is narrower, situated on steeply sloping rocks. The area it occupies is extensive, a little over a thousand metres in one direction and a little less than half of that in the upper part. At present, three clearly differentiated areas can be recognised.
There have been partial collapses of the walls in this area.
Partial collapse of the walls has occurred, especially in the lower sections, and the structures are thus isolated from each other.
The lower enclosures are located where the contour lines allow for terraces with a larger horizontal surface area. The walls are made of different types of masonry. The walls are predominantly made of rammed earth and masonry in a variety of techniques.
On the western side, at the foot of the cliff, there is a plain that must have served as a corral. It is accessed through a gorge hollowed out of the rock, an element that also serves as a defence for the fortified enclosure.
In the vicinity of this pass there is a plain that must have served as a threshing floor for drying grain. Nearby there is also a fountain from which the inhabitants of the castle drew their water.
There are still standing walls from different periods, all from the Middle Ages, a cistern and the doorway of a gate located in the upper enclosure (S. Varela).