Strategically located between the city and the vast plain watered by the Tagus, above the bridge of Alcantara, the only exit south mainland, had a supervisory role on this entry and exit of Toledo. Its roots are Muslim, although it suffered a few ruins and dropouts to revive with many other restorations.
Cluniacense houses a monastic community that the Almoravids abandoned attempts to recover the capital. It's where the Cid veiled weapons before his reconciliation with Alfonso VI in Toledo. Défend then by the Order of the Templars lost their border and defensive character after the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212 and fell into oblivion. He returned to be used for weapons purposes by both sides in the fratricidal war between Pedro I and his brother Enrique de Trastámara, being rebuilt by the favour of the latter, Archbishop Pedro Tenorio.
In the sixteenth century became its ruinous state, until 1945, when it is rebuilding its outer perimeter and respecting medieval style, to house the College of Young Children. With the creation of the University of Castilla La Mancha became temporarily Residencia de Estudiantes and is now Alberque Youth Center and various cultural events.
The floor is rectangular practically oriented from south to north. It is crowned with battlements and has three hollow circular towers at three of its corners, highlighting one of them for their larger. The main door opens into a kind of keep with saeteras Matacanes and rigour.
 It is possible that before him there had been a fortress Arabic. Alfonso VI, to reconquer Toledo, a castle restored there to defend the city, giving custody to a community cluniancense. Several times on Toledo returned Arabs trying to reconquer, so the monks had left the castle and was entrusted to his defence warden, Alvar-Yáñez Minalla and then to the order of the Templars. Extirpated the order in the thirteenth century, and without Moors on the coast, the castle was empty and began its gradual ruin. A couple of times was restored, but when the war was no longer based swords and bolts, the castle was unusable, abandoned and used to enclose bucolic horse.
Currently being restored and conditioning as a college |
