Besieging the Castle, Asedio al Castillo, a mobile phone app for enjoying the history and heritage of Jumilla

Discover the architecture and history of Jumilla on a quest to take control of the castle of Jumilla!

The Town Hall of Jumilla in northern Murcia has presented a new tourism initiative consisting of a mobile phone app which invites participants to complete a “gymkhana” game entitled “Asedio al Castillo” (Besieging the Castle).

This culturally and historically informative game takes visitors (and locals!) back to the year 1358, when Jumilla, like the rest of Murcia, had been under Christian rule for only a century or so and was still dangerously close to the Nazrid kingdom of Andalucía. At this time the castle we see today had not been built (that was to come in 1461) but the same spot was occupied by a fortress and a small church.

Anyone who accepts the challenge of Asedio al Castillo (and it is designed to appeal to both adults and children) begins their route outside the Iglesia del Salvador, where the new app was presented by Mayoress Seve González, councillor Asunción Navarro and the director general of Quality Tourism in the regional government, Eva Reverte. They then spend the next 90 minutes or so in the role of Castilian soldiers, covering a distance of 1.3 kilometres and solving 12 puzzles as they try to wrest control of the castle from their Aragonese enemies before reinforcements arrive from the north.

Along the way, they learn lots about the history and architectural gems of Jumilla on a journey which not only offers and rich cultural and touristic experience but also helps to stimulate tourist activity in the old town centre.

Asedio al Castillo is available 24 hours a day and can be accessed on mobile devices by scanning the QR code which is displayed on plaques along the route. These plaques will be located at the church of El Salvador, at the castle, at the tourist office, in the Plaza de la Constitución and in the Jardín de la Glorieta. No prior booking is required and of course the activity can be enjoyed at any time of year.

For more information about visiting Jumilla, including what's on, local news and all of the bodegas on the Jumilla wine route, visit the home page of Jumilla Today.