Castillo de Sabiote

Sabiote Castle is located on high ground at one end of the wall that bounds the village of the same name, which forms part of the La Loma y Las Villas region in the province of Jaén.

Sabiote Castle is considered the most important 16th-century military building in the province of Jaén, and is also the oldest existing example of the Renaissance castle/bastion model. From its gates, the Guadalimar Valley can be seen, as well as the Sierra Morena and Sierra Mágina Mountains on the horizon. This confirms the military importance of this spot, dating back to the Bronze Age. The castle has a beautiful Plateresque frontispiece with the coats of arms of Cobos Molina and Doña María Mendoza, who were instrumental in having it built.

Part of Sabiote's walled area still exists, with some of the old gates (there were originally six) that provided access to the village. These include the Chirigote, Pelotero and San Bartolomé gates, and the Moorish Granada gate.

The castle was designated a Historic Monument in 1931, and its walled area a Historic-Artistic Site in 1972. It is protected under the generic statement of the Decree dated 22 April 1949 and Law 16/1985 regarding Spain's Historic Heritage. In 1993, the Regional Government of Andalusia awarded special recognition to the castles of this Autonomous Region.