Alcazaba or Citadel in Estepa

All that remains of the old Alcazaba or Citadel of Estepa, located in the highest part of the town and what was later the Palace of Los Marqueses, are parts of some water cisterns and fragments of the walls.

The plans made in 1543 by the Biscayan stonemasons Maese Miguel de Beyçama and Sancho de Garra, who were directing work on the church of Santa María, help us to understand what the fortress and the citadel looked like at that time. It appears that the gateway to the citadel was on the north side, opposite the old Plaza de la Villa or Villa Vieja, leading to a curved entrance that was better for defence. The perimeter of the inner or fortress wall is where the water cisterns are located.

According to historical documentation, the contribution of the marquises to the fortification works for the town appear to have concentrated on the refurbishment and transformation of the fortress into a palace, which is what it has been called in the documents ever since.