Hita's hill, natural watchtower, was used already by the Romans as place of alertness on the causeway of Merida to Saragossa. Under the Arabic control the population was known as Fita, of Latin origin that means fixed and excellent place.

In the year 1085 the Castilian king Alfonso VI reconquers these lands. Before happens this one done the villa turns out to be already mentioned in the Poem of the Leader and the Legend of Seven Infantes of Lara, which demonstrates its early importance for Castile.

After the reconquest they continue coexisting in Christian, Jewish and Moslem Hita. The Jewish population grows up to reaching in the 14th century the economic control of the villa, based principally on the wine production. Probably for this made Pedro I believe a center of collection of taxes in Hita's castle at the expense of the Jew Samuel Levi.

In the same century Juan Ruiz, the Archpriest of Hita, writes one of the greatest works of the medieval literature: the Book of Good Love. Another fact of great transcendency is the arrival of the family alavesa of the Mendoza as new Masters of Hita.

The Marquees of Santillana, Iñigo Lopez of Mendoza, turns into the 15th century into a powerful noble and great poet lover of the arts. Since Master of Hita reconstructs the castle about 1430 and the population strengthens.

Sta's Door. Maria before the civil war

At the end of the 15th century coinciding with the expulsion of the Jews and the arrival of the Kings Católicos, it begins Hita's declivity. The Spanish Civil war transports the destruction of the villa, on having been a line abreast during the whole contest. In 1965 the remains of the old town are declared Historical Artistic Set.

In spite of the disappearance of a good part of the urban fabric, constructions of interest stay in this villa yet.

There remain different linens of the medieval wall that gave the orders the Marquees of Santillana raised in 1441. It was surrounding the villa and was promoting the hillside of the hill up to joining the castle. In his quiebros there appear cylindrical massive towers called also "buckets".

The Door of Santa Maria is principal and the only surviving of the three that the wall had. In spite of its small scale it is a beautiful example of the military architecture of the 15th century. The previous elements close to the heraldic shield that presides at the door have as purpose symbolize the power of the nobility. In this case they represent the power of the own Marquees of Santillana, Master of Hita.

After crossing the door we find the Major Plaza or of the Archpriest. It is a wide space delimited for support them and housings of popular flavor. Stand out some fronts of brick that us remind the constructive Mudejar tradition of Moslem origin.

Following the steep streets or slopes that go out of the square we come to the ruins of San's Pedro Church. The noblemen of Hita who in the 16th century were adding still a hundred installed his sepulchers in this temple. The majority of the sepulchral tablets (XVth, XVIth and XVIIth centuries) were moved to the Church of San Juan but opposite to the altar we can see still that of Fernando of Mendoza, warden of Hita's fortress in the 15th century.

The Church of San Juan placed a bit more above is a temple of simple architecture Gothic Spanish Muslim living under Christian rule.

From this point there arises a path that leads to the top of the hill. In this place there exist remains of the former castle, concretly a section of the foreign enclosure and the take-off of the Tower of the Honoring raised in the 15th century. A wide landscape controls itself in addition with the north saw of Guadalajara of bottom.

Other constructions of interest belonging to the popular architecture are the caves that perforate the whole historical hull. The warehouses served to produce and to guard the wine in the Middle Ages. The bodegos are caves housing probably of Arabic origin placed in the high neighbourhood.

Inside Hita's municipal end and very near Tower of the Burgo Sopetrán's Monastery of origin is located Visigoth. It preserves remains of medieval origin and the series of arches of the cloister are of style herreriano.

Crafts

There exists in the villa a workshop of ceramics placed opposite to the ruins of San's Pedro Church where the artisan Felisa Rojo shapes great variety of pieces of traditional flavor and original designs. Also she exposes her works in Hita's former forge restored to the effect and located in the Major Plaza close to the Door of Santa Maria.

Gastronomy

Hita's Medieval Festival offers snacks based on Castilian crumbs, higadillos, small cauldron and other traditional plates. In nearby populations like Jadraque and Cogolludo it is possible to taste the most typical plate of this zone. It is a question of the roast lamb cooked in a broth that includes fragrant plants to give a very special flavor.