Torre de Mudéjar

The Torre de Mudéjar (also called the Gran Prior tower) is the most prominent historic monument in Alcázar de San Juan — the remains of the medieval fortress of the Knights of St John, who governed this part of La Mancha from the 12th century onwards. The octagonal tower is built in the Mudéjar style, combining Moorish decorative techniques with Christian military architecture, and it rises above the flat surrounding plain as a landmark visible for some distance.

The tower has been restored and is open to visitors. Inside, a small exhibition covers the history of the military order and the region. The views from the upper levels look out over the flat La Mancha plain in every direction, with the characteristic profile of the countryside — shallow ridges, brown earth, patches of vineyard — stretching to the horizon. It is the best available vantage point in a town that is otherwise entirely flat.

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A story
The tower is all that remains of the original Order of St John castle from which the town takes its name — the "Alcázar" (fortress) of the Knights of St John (San Juan). The Order held much of La Mancha in the medieval period, using their military and agricultural network to push back Moorish territory and colonise the plain. The Mudéjar decorative brickwork on the upper sections was added after the Christian reconquest, by Muslim craftsmen working under Christian patronage — a typical Castilian blend.