El Cantar relates that El Cid passed Ateca on the sixteenth day of exile, setting up camp on the hillock of Torrecid. This is a readily defensible place overlooking the fortified town of Alcocer, which is now a waste ground placed at a distance of 2km from Ateca. It is close to Peña de la Mora. His plan was, first, to levy tribute on the Moorish towns and then to conquer the castle of Alcocer.
The Mudejar-style towers of Ateca are a powerful visual reminder of the Muslim past of the town. There are barely any remains of the 10th-century Muslim castle: the frontier wars that took place in the early Middle Ages and, especially, the Carlist Wars had a substantial effect on its image. The state of poor preservation has made comprehensive restoration work necessary in the 21st century. Its sober style is in line with 19th-century small forts.
Rev. PAB 27.12.18