Restoration work has recovered the castle of Lopera’s original appearance and prevented the natural decay caused by the passage of time in a fortress that some researchers consider to be a crown jewel of defensive architecture. The image that visitors perceive as they go through the main gate facing the current Town Hall is very similar to what was seen by the 17th century citizens. That is when the Order of Calatrava transformed the fortress and erected a new building on the foundations of an Arab fort that protected the inhabitants.

Located in the heart of town, the castle, shaped like an irregular pentagon, has two baileys: an outside one, formed by the curtain walls and defended by five towers; and an inside one, where two imposing towers known as San Miguel and Santa María stand, joined by two curtain walls. The Tower of San Miguel was used to control the access to the fortress. As a matter of curiosity, the tower still shows signs of the damage caused by an artillery shell during the Spanish Civil War.

The tower of Santa María was the keep. It has two rooms, one above the other. The lower one was transformed into an oratory during the work done in the 16th century to turn the castle into a residence for the nobility. In the 20th century it underwent further restoration to convert it into a living room for the proprietor’s family.

In the mid-20th century a winery was set up in the fortress of Lopera, a situation that changed the original aspect of the fortress considerably. For example, the rear entrance or false gate was torn down; the belfry of the tower of Santa María was dismantled and replaced with battlements; and a huge warehouse was built, as well as a hopper for grapes.

Currently, the castle, together with the Casa de la Tercia, is the most significant monument in Lopera and one of the most important ones on the Castles and Battlegrounds Route of Jaén.