History
of Sax castle
When visiting the province of Alicante, if you have even a
passing interest in either castles, history or even both, then you really
cannot miss the magnificent castle of Sax.
The castle sits a little north of
Alicante city, just off the A31 road. Sax castle stands, as it always has and
for a very long time, high above the city of Sax and it can be seen for miles
around in all directions.
It is believed that the original castle was built during
the reign of the Roman empire, but as is (or was) very common in the area at
that time the Moors that developed it. The Moors developed and improved the
castle of Sax in order to protect, and keep a hold of, the lands that they had
already conquered in the area. The Moors, however, were eventually defeated in
1239.
The defeat of the Moors in 1239 came after the armies of
the Crown of Aragon captured the castle. The two crowns of Castile and Aragon
were fierce rivals in the race to claim dominion over the whole area. Castle
Sax was eventually ceded to Castile, under the Treaty of Almizra, in 1244.
Pretty much the only things that remain of the Sax castle today are the keep
and the bastion tower.
The
jewel of Alicante
Wherever you happen to visit in the province of Alicante,
there is one thing that is set in stone – you will never be too far away from
most romantic and epic of all buildings: a castle. The region that is Alicante
has long been one of the most coveted locations in the whole of Spain.
When the Moors first conquered the region they ruled for
700 years, and in that time they transformed it into one of the more fertile
and productive areas of the whole country. In the meantime, they also managed to
hold onto it by fortifying it, developing castles like Sax, even as the
northern kingdoms continued to threaten to take over.
Because the Moors held the region so successfully and for
so long, any visit you make to any castle in Alicante is more than likely going
to reveal to you that its origins lay with them being founded by Moors.
Although, that being said, the Romans had a strong hand in the fortifications
of many of the sites.
For those of you visiting the area that are romantically
inclined, by far the best way to see Sax castle and the others around Alicante
is to hire a car. There are lots of options when it comes to car hire companies
around Alicante, making it even easier to visit Sax.
The entire region is just simply gorgeous, and after
visiting Sax you may want to explore the region further – and why wouldn’t you?
Enjoy your stay.