ALBURQUERQUE

It is one more of the peoples of the border, a village in the bay, which differs slightly in its urban physiognomy and its people from other populations or Spanish neighbor Portugal. His name seems to come from Latin (albus querquus) obviously taking relation to the forests of oaks and cork trees that mark their territory.

Originally Arab conquered Ferdinand II in the year 1166, but a few years later he returned to Muslim hands. He was finally taken by the troops of King of Leon in 1220 a few years before Badajoz and Caceres.

After the reconquest and throughout its history, this fortress and its walled hamlet became property of various characters, who somehow were adapting and improving its defensive structure. In 1440 arrives at the hands of Aston Castilla, D. Alvaro de Luna, who undertook works very important and changed his appearance so important, lifting the Tower of Homage, adorned with magnificent Gothic windows, and access to which is based on a monumental arch and a drawbridge. From the ground floor of the tower stairs snail "contramano" makes it almost impossible to access invaders main stays.

Another significant figure in this enclave was Don Beltran de la Cueva, appointed by the Trastamara Henry IV, the Duke of Alburquerque, which continued strengthening of the castle, with elements such as beautiful matacán. Reform was important to transform the watchtower square base, pentagonal, moving the zone defense and surveillance towards Portugal. The struggles with the neighboring country during the War of Restoration and French invasions, had a big impact castle and the people suffering the consequences of those conflicts, being an enclave border, where the dividing line was very unstable. Therefore agreements with the times, the areas most vulnerable of the fortress, were reinforced with defenses typical of a Field defense abaluartada. War Restoration Portuguese, the Spanish Succession and the Independencias left serious consequences on the population and its township.

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