Discover Montiel: Castillo de la Estrella, History and Nature

Castillo de la Estrella is a medieval landmark of Montiel and is recognised as an Asset of Cultural Interest. It is located on a 961-metre-high conical hill. The main entrance leads from the road to Villanueva de la Fuente via an approximately 500-metre-long uphill path to the upper platform.

History and Architectural Heritage

Montiel’s first medieval church, the parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Estrella, was built around the 1230s and excavated in 2013. More than fifty medieval burials were uncovered around it.

Castillo de San Polo lies two kilometres west of the centre of Montiel and is an archaeological site with prehistoric and medieval settlements. Around 1224, the Order of Santiago carried out medieval construction work there and used it against the Islamic garrison of Castillo de la Estrella until it surrendered in 1227.

In Montiel’s old town stands the Iglesia de San Sebastián Mártir, built in 1440 in the Late Gothic style. Casa Pretel is a private mansion; its façade can be viewed. Casa de la Condesa de Calleja is a building erected in 1898 in the Eclectic style; its façade can also be viewed.

The Monolito near Llano de la Fuente commemorates the siege and death of Pedro I el Cruel in Montiel in 1369. Ermita del Santísimo Cristo de la Expiración lies outside Montiel next to the municipal cemetery and can be visited.

Wine, Crafts and Festivals

Bodegas Real in Montiel offers guided tours of the vineyards and facilities, as well as wine tastings by prior arrangement. Montiel’s artisans specialise in stone masonry, ceramics and religious sculpture.

The Jornadas Medievales de Montiel take place every year over the Friday-to-Sunday weekend closest to 23 March and are held at Castillo de la Estrella. Montiel Medieval is held every March with historical re-enactments, a market, music and family activities commemorating the death of Pedro I of Castile.

The festival of the Virgen de los Mártires takes place on 8 May; the pilgrimage is celebrated on 15 August. At the emblematic Puente de la Soledad, the procession from Villahermosa is welcomed at the start of the Cristo procession.

Nature and Trails

The PR-CR 96 Sendero Entre Ermitas hiking trail runs along a flat riverside area parallel to the Río Segurilla. At the Ermita de la Virgen de los Mártires, a watercourse fed by the Río Segurilla provides fresh, lush vegetation and a picnic area equipped with tables and chairs.

The municipality of Montiel includes the Sierra del Relumbrar y Estribaciones de Alcaraz Site of Community Importance, the Embalse de la Cabezuela wildlife refuge and part of the Campo de Montiel steppes Special Protection Area for birds. The ruins of Molino de las Huertas receive water from the Jabalón; their outflow empties into the Río Segurilla.

Montiel can be reached via the CM-3127, CR-P-6311, CR-P-6321 and CR-P-633 roads, as well as by InterBús bus.

Other destinations in the same broader area: Santa Cruz De Mudela, Castellar De Santiago, Villahermosa, Campo De Criptana, Moral De Calatrava, Manzanares, San Lorenzo de Calatrava, El Cristo Del Espíritu Santo

To the broader travel overview: Ciudad Real.