Castillo de Saracen

Sickness will surely take your mind where mind can't usually go....
For all my complaining and moaning about horrible mountain trails I did a very steep incline for about one kilometer to go and see the ruins of a saracen castle from the IX century.

Sarracenicum) due to its strategic location has been a fundamental piece for the control of Galicia.
The current castle seems to be from the 9th century. Previously, the castle that existed must have been razed in the year 714 by Muza.
The reconstruction of the current Castle should not have started until after the expulsion of the Muslims from Galicia and León, which would place its construction at the end of the 9th century.
Certain facts suggest that Sarracín was built during the Reign of Ordoño I (850), by Count Gatón as founder of Sarracín, giving it the name of his son Sarracino Gatónez or it was built by Sarracino himself, which would place its construction in the range 852-885
Count Gatón seems to be a native of the Triacastela environment and married a sister of Ordoño called Dª Nuña, being Ordoño's right-hand man for Galicia and his brother-in-law, Count Rodrigo exercised the same functions in Castile.
Count Gatón was in charge of the campaigns of 852 in favor of the Mozarabs of Toledo and that of 863, in defense of the Castilian Alavés territory, which ended in disaster and defeat in the Pancoro gorge.
Later the Count Gatón, was the alderman and in charge of repopulating the Bierzo and later the area of ​​Astorga.
The son of Count Gaton, Sarracino Gatónez, Lord of Sarracín, in 885 led a rebellion against Alfonso III, together with Hermenegildo Pérez, son of Count Pedro Theón. The death of the Count of Castile, Diego Rodríguez, allowed Alfonso III to carry out a maneuver to stop any desire for independence or transfer of more power, than he was willing to give, to those sons of the Counts, who were once the men trusted by the Kings (Ordoño, Alfonso III).
Alfonso III, divided the kingdom between his sons:

Garcia: Kingdom of Leon and Castile

Ordoño: Galicia

Fruela: Asturias

Situation

The Castle is located in Vega de Valcarce, in front of the Autares Castle. There are doubts in some authors and this Castle has been called Castro Veiga and they place Santa María de Autares between Trabadelo and Portela.

Sarracin, Autares, Valcarce river, Portazgo and Cueva de la Mora



Valcarce

D. García Rodríguez de Valcarce. He was Adelantado Mayor of the kingdom of Galicia, Lord of the Castles of Sarracin and Doncos, Corullón, Montefurado, Corgo, Molinaseca... he died in the 14th century.

Mr. Fernando Rodríguez de Valcarce. Brother of D. Garcia, he was private of Alfonso IX, butler and chancellor of Queen Dª. Maria, Grand Prior of Malta. He bravely defended the island of Rhodes from the attacks of the Turks. It lies in the Quiroga chapel of Valladolid

And it looks like the Saracens have elected a new Pope.Read more