OPENIG HOURS
Wednesday to Sunday and holidays: 10 AM – 14:00 PM
Last entry by 13 PM
CONTACT
A-3125 Road, Km 18
957 671 757 / 607 163 787
Located on a hill overlooking the vast lands of Jaén and Córdoba, the Torreparedones Archaeological Park is a cultural treasure declared a Cultural Interest Property as part of the Network of Cultural Spaces of Andalusia. It is a fascinating place to explore the ancient civilizations that left their mark here throughout the centuries.
Known as Torreparedones or Torre de las Vírgenes, this site is situated on the northern boundary of the municipalities of Castro del Río and Baena. You can reach it by taking the A-3125 road from Baena to Cañete de las Torres, and at kilometer 18, follow an ancient path known as the “Camino de Castro del Río a Porcuna,” which leads you to the Torreparedones Archaeological Park.
Torreparedones, at 579.60
meters above sea level, is
known as the "roof
of the Campiña."
Inhabited for 5,000 years, from the end of the Neolithic (4th millennium BC) to the Late Middle Ages, several cultures left their mark through artifacts such as ceramics, glass, stone, and metal. At its peak during the Iberian and Roman periods, it was protected by a fortified wall enclosing an area of 10.5 hectares.
Significant Findings and Elements
Iberian Sanctuary
Located in the southern part of the city, outside the walls, this sanctuary was in use for several centuries, from the 3rd century BC until the late 2nd century AD. The visitable building corresponds to a renovation carried out during the reign of Emperor Claudius in the first half of the 1st century AD, consisting of several parts: access ramp, vestibule, courtyard, and the cella where the deity Dea Caelestis was venerated, syncretized with Tanit, Juno, and Salus. Its image was a styliform betylus, a column without a base topped with a leafy capital. An archaeoastronomical study has suggested the “miracle of light,” based on the sun’s ray striking the betylus according to the cycle of the seasons. A large number of stone ex-votos have been recovered, representing human figures (mostly female, some pregnant), as well as body parts (legs).
Subsequent research near the visitor center of the archaeological park has led to the discovery of a series of ex-votos depicting zoomorphic representations of equids, indicating the probable existence of a second Iberian-Roman worship site, likely dedicated to a protective deity of these animals.
Roman City
The Iberian oppidum of Torreparedones became part of the Roman province of Hispania Ulterior, established in 197 BC after the Roman conquest, and later renamed Baetica following Emperor Augustus’s reforms between 15-13 BC. After its surrender, it became a stipendiary city that paid annual tribute to Rome. Around the turn of the era, the city attained a privileged status with the rank of a colony or municipality, though its name remains debated between the colony Ituci Virtus Iulia and the municipality Bora, which minted coins in the 2nd-1st centuries BC.
During the 1st century AD, the city saw significant urban development, some elements of which have been uncovered, including the forum with its large square plaza (518 m²) paved and bearing a monumental inscription with litterae aureae commemorating the benefactor responsible for the work, Marcus Junius Marcelo. Surrounding the plaza are notable buildings: a temple dedicated to imperial cult, a legal basilica, the Concordia shrine, porticos, and the curia. The large eastern gate, flanked by two towers, defended the city’s entrance, and part of the internal road system has been documented near the forum.
Other excavations have uncovered the macellum (public market) and three bath buildings, one near the forum, another near the Chapel of the Virgins, and a more recent thermal complex near the eastern gate (thermae of Salus). Sculptural remains found in the forum square, including a portrait of Claudius, a toga-clad figure, a female statue, and a military torso, provide clear evidence of the imperial cult. Of particular interest are the three monumental seated sculptures recovered from the curia: two male figures (representing Emperor Claudius and Augustus) and one female (representing Livia).
Another significant discovery is the amphitheater, a characteristic feature of Roman cities, located outside the city walls. It hosted gladiator combats, wild animal hunts, and executions.
Medieval Village of Castro el Viejo
The medieval castle of Castro el Viejo, which crowns the highest point of the site, dates from the late 13th or early 14th century. Its large keep is a landmark visible from miles away due to its height. Around it existed a village by the same name, which was abandoned by the mid-16th century. The modern era is represented by the Chapel of the Virgins, dedicated to two Mozarabic saints martyred in the mid-9th century during the reign of Abd al-Rahman II for defending their Christian faith, as described by Eulogio of Córdoba in his Memoriale Sanctorum.
