VirtualGlobetrotting: Spanish Castles

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Templar Castle
Parabellum (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Parabellum.
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The city is noted for the Castillo de los Templarios, a Templar castle which covers approximately 16,000 square meters. In 1178, Fernando II of Spain donated the city to the Templar order for protecting the pilgrims on the Way of St. James who passed through El Bierzo in their road to Santiago de Compostela.

Palacio de Galiana
mlc1us (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: mlc1us.
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Nogales Castle
hhgygy (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: hhgygy.
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Bellver Castle
DonMartini (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: DonMartini.
Bellver Castle (catalan: Castell de Bellver) is a circular castle on a hill near Palma de Mallorca on the island of Majorca, Balearic Islands. It was built in the 14th century for King James II of Mallorca. It was used as a military prison during the 18th and 19th centuries. Now it is one of the main tourist attractions of the island.

Alcázar de Segovia
Hinkkanen (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Hinkkanen.
In the Alcázar of Segovia, Queen Isabella of Castile married King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Built in the 11th century and rebuilt in the early 15th century, its Moorish influence is confined to some interior details. A fire in 1862 destroyed most of the structure, which was rebuilt about two decades later in a more romantic style than the original building, giving it the 'too-good-to-be-true' castle appearance of a Spanish Neuschwanstein.

Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos
DonMartini (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: DonMartini.
It is a building of military character that was built following gothic style by order of King Alfons XI. Here the Catholic Kings resided approximately 8 years, during the period of the Spanish Reconquest. It was here were they received Columbus prior to his voyage to the Americas. Its elegant gardens and its contents are magnificent and priceless, with Roman mosaics and sarcophaguses of the 2nd and 3rd centuries. It also offers an excellent view to the rover and the Roman Bridge, that crosses the Guadalquivir River. As part of the complex, it has several towers with lodgings that are covered with pointed arches, such as the Tower of the Homage or the Lions’ Tower facing the garden of the Martyred Saints. It also maintains the baths, of the caliph tradition, located under the Mosaics’ Hall, which nowadays is used to celebrate weddings.

Al Hambra Fortress
voldude123 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: voldude123.
There is a castle. Do you see the walls?

Burgos Castle
DonMartini (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: DonMartini.
Going north from San Esteban, through the Mudéjar-style Arco de San Esteban, and turning left along the old town walls (begun 1276), there is the Castillo (destroyed by fire in 1736), from the ramparts of which there are fine views.

Alcazar de Toledo
kjfitz (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kjfitz.
Pictures

Alcazaba Málaga
This is a Moorish construction of the 11th to 14th centuries, residence of the court and the soldiers that guarded it. It is certainly one of the most important historical buildings in the city, its outstanding architectural element being the tower that was built on Roman stone foundations and reconstructed in modern times. One of the inside arches, built in brick and stone, is especially interesting.
Just below the entrance to the Alcazaba are the ruins of an amphitheatre dating from the Roman times (2nd Century AD).

Aguas Mansas castle
dda (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: dda.

Castillo de Santa Barbara
Perhaps the most prominent symbol of Alicante is its Castle which looks out over the city & surrounding land from the summit of mount Benacantil, 166m above the sea. Archaeological findings seem to indicate its site was originally that of an Iberian hill fort, although the castle itself dates from the sixteenth century. The building itself is well preserved with draw bridges, stone passages, hidden tunnels & dungeons. In addition a beautiful garden has been created in the grounds, with many works from Spanish master sculptors featuring. Be sure to pay a visit to the "Museo de les Fogueres" museum which features many of the best effigies captured from the flames of the "Las Hogueras de San Juan" festival. Ascent can either be made by car, or lift going up from Postiguet beach.

Castillo de Santa Ana
Effi (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Effi.

La Alcazaba
Effi (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Effi.

Castillo de San Servando
Effi (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Effi.

Castillo de los Mendoza

Castillo de Galeras (Castle Mount of Galeras)
kjfitz (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kjfitz.

Llivia castle
dda (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: dda.

Castillo de Gibralfaro
kjfitz (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kjfitz.

Montjuic Castle
The original castle is from 1640, which was destroyed and rebuild. In the civil war (1936-1939)
it was a very important piece to defend the city. After the civil war it was used as
a prison were a lot left wing Catalans were prisoned.

Ampudia castle
dda (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: dda.

Fuensaldaña castle

Alcazaba de Badajoz
The ruins of a Moorish castle overlooking the Guadiana. A strong wall and bastions, with a broad moat and outworks, and forts on the surrounding heights, give the city an appearance of great strength. The river, which flows between the castle-hill and the powerfully armed fort of San Cristobal, is crossed by a magnificent granite bridge, originally built in 1460, repaired in 1597 and rebuilt in 1833. The whole aspect of Badajoz recalls its stormy history; even the cathedral, built in 1238, resembles a fortress, with massive walls.

Montgrí castle
King James II ordered the construction of Montgrí Castle, which would become a symbol of the area. Though never finished, the perimeter walls and four cylindrical towers were erected.

Castillo de Sax
hhgygy (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: hhgygy.

Castillo de Elda

Castillo Monteaguda
kaiken (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kaiken.

Castillo de Coca

Castillo de Alcalat

Castillo de Vilassar
adrbr (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: adrbr.

Saint Catalina's Castle
Saint Catalina's Castle, that can be seen from any point of the city. Previously there existed a fortress of Arabic origin (Abrehui's castle), of which some evidences stay. The current construction is of Christian origin, raised after the conquest of the city for Ferdinand III of Castile,called the Saint, in 1246.

Alcazar of Jerez de la Frontera
LancelotLink (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: LancelotLink.
The Alcazar of Jerez de la Frontera is a former Moorish fortress, now housing a park, in Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, Spain.

Petrer Castle
In Petrer to the west, there is a hill which nestles a typical Arab castle going back to the 12th century. It was later used as the home for noble families and is now open to the public. There is a chapel where weddings can be celebrated or museum with antique findings, especially pottery pieces from the X-XI c. It is decorated with shields showing that the Moorish and Christian domain were both present.

Fortaleza Del Sol
The castle dates from the 13th century. It is located on a strategic spot, from which it dominates the city. The castle is an elongated building with a polygonal floor plan, which used to be divided in three parts. On one of them is the Alfonsí Tower, with a rectangular base and a triple structure that is crowned by Gothic domes. This tower was rebuilt in the 15th century. Another remarkable feature is the Espolón Tower, with a great Mudejar influence.

Trigueros castle

Castillo de la Concepcion

Castillo de San Julián

Ciudadela de Rosas
adrbr (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: adrbr.

Castillo de Laguna de Negrillos
Picture

Sant Carles Castle Historic Military Museum
Rene73 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Rene73.

Fuentes de Valdepero Castle
LancelotLink (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: LancelotLink.

Sagunto castle

Castillo de Peñafiel

Arévalo Castle
LancelotLink (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: LancelotLink.

Castillo de Villanueva de Cañedo
The castle-palace known as “Buen Amor”, built in the second half of the 15th century by Alonso de Fonseca, Bishop of Ávila,formerly Archbishop of Compostela, as a contry house, is situated in this town in the north of the province of Salamanca, close to Zamora.
It has a square floor, with square towers on his corners with round angles surrounded by an exterior moat. Inside there are two floors of living quarters, with columns and Goghic and Renaissance segmental arches.

Castillo de Burriac
adrbr (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: adrbr.

Belmonte de Campos castle

Requesens Castle
kkeps (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kkeps.
Requesens Castle is a historical building in the municipality of La Junquera, Catalonia, Spain.
The edifice is characterized by a triple line of walls, with square and rounded towers, portals and merlons. In the lower court is the chapel, including Romanesque elements from original structures of the area, or of French inspiration.

Morella Castle

Castillo de La Roca

Castle of Gérgal

Butrón Castle

Castillo de Frias
Hinkkanen (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Hinkkanen.
Castle of the dukes of Frias from the13th century, even more info in English here.

Castillo de Peratallada

Fortaleza de Goian
kkeps (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kkeps.

Torrelobatón Castle

Castillo de Onda
Hinkkanen (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Hinkkanen.
The site of this castle has been fortified since prehistoric times but the present castle dates from the 12th century and has been modernised many times.

Castle of Zamora
Northwest of the Cathedral stands the Castillo, with magnificent views of the town and the river from the keep.

Peralada Castle
kkeps (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kkeps.
A first castle was the seat of the medieval dynasty of the viscounts of Peralada, started by Berenguer, son of Ponce I, count of Ampurias. During the French invasion of the Ampurdán, in the course of the crusade against Catalonia led by Philip III of France, the castle and the nearby buildings were set on fire and destroyed (1285). Remains of these original structure are in the upper part of the town.
A new castle was built in the mid-13th century outside the line of the new walls. The current edifice received a new Renaissance façade, while the building was enlarged in the 19th century.

Castle of the Dukes of Alba
hhgygy (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: hhgygy.

Castillo de Ravós de Terri

Castillo de Calonge

Castle Fortress on the hill
"The castle is (on) an impressive rock plateau that rises vertically nearly one hundred meters from its base, and nearly two hundred on the plain, accessible only by a walled road located on its southern side. The entire complex is walled and inside the enclosure are the ruins of ancient buildings"
(Translation from the Spanish by Google)

Castillo de Garcimuñoz

Quermançó Castle
The Quermançó Castle is located about 2km north of Vilajuïga situated on top of a remote hill and directly accessible only on foot from a small road that turns off from the N-260.
The history of the castle dates back to 1078 and was owned by Counts in the Empúries region. In 1472, during the Catalan Civil War, the castle is occupied by forces loyal to Joan II. In 1808, the castle was captured by Napoleonic troops, occupied for several years, and was even fortified as a keep for armaments. Despite the addition fortifications, an explosion ordered by Marshal Suchet during the French withdrawal in 1814 left the castle in ruins, which have degraded further in to what is now the current state of the castle.
The surrealist painter, Salvador Dalí had a deep affection for the castle, who was very familiar with it as it is positioned on the road at nearly the halfway between his home town of Figueres and his coastal home in Cadaqués. He had several ideas for the castle including: creating a natural pipe organ in the castle which would have been "played" by the tramuntana wind that constantly blows in the area, another was to house a rhinoceros in the basement purely for tourists to come and view, and the other was to acquire the ruins of the castle and place them in the residence of his wife, Gala.
Moderate work has been performed on the castle to maintain its current state, but visitors will note that it is on privately owned land. Also of note is that the interior has been locked off to the public in order to thwart vandals, so only the exterior is viewable to public visitors.

Torija Castle

Cardona Castle

Castillo de Montagut (Castillo de Cós)

Sigüenza Castle

Cuéllar Castle

Castle of Vélez-Blanco

Castillo de Montsoriu

Castillo de Escalona
kaiken (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kaiken.

Turégano Castle

Castillo de Trujillo
kaiken (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kaiken.

Castillo de Rocabruna

Castle of Biar
Mike1989 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Mike1989.
It was declared a Monumento Nacional in 1931 and is in the call Route of the Castles of Vinalopó.

Íscar Castle

Atalaya Castle
Mike1989 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Mike1989.
Castillo de la Atalaya or Castillo de Villena

Castillo de Aitona (Castillo del Moro)

Castillo de Castelló de Farfaña

La Calahorra Castle

Castillo de Castellmeià

Castillo de Balsareny

Sobroso Castle

Uclés Castle

Castillo de Llordá

Iznájar Castle
Mike1989 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Mike1989.
It was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural monument on June 22, 1993.

Belalcázar Castle
It was established in the second half of the 15th century.

Tabernas Castle
Castillo de Tabernas is a ruined castle

Arteaga castle
Built starting from 1859, once it belonged to the family of the wife of Napoleon III, Empress Eugénie de Montijo. Check out the pool in the south western tower of the buildings, not bad.

Guardias Viejas Castle
Castillo de Guardias Viejas is a castle located in the town of Los Baños de Guardias Viejas

Bujalance Castle
It was built in the 10th century during the Caliphate of Abd-ar-Rahman III

Castle of Jimena de la Frontera
The castle was originally built by the Grenadian Moors of the Umayyad Caliphate

Chinchón Castle
kuressaare (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kuressaare.
From 1460 the Catholic Kings granted an extensive dominion to Don Andrés de Cabrera in the south zone of the current province of Madrid, who fixed as head of jurisdiction to Chinchón's Villa. It is very probable that the new gentlemen were constructed a castle, as residence and ostentation of his power. The conflict that freed itself with the commoners affected Chinchón, since not about a lot of time that had separated of the province of Segovia, it was supporting still good relations. On January 21, 1521 after length besiege the castle it falls down in hands commoners. The siege and later plunder stayed to the castle in lamentable conditions. Once recovered the castle and suffocated the movement commoner is repaired though two later generations were raising a new building on the remains of the previous one.
At the beginning of the century XVIII he had to be left, maybe coinciding with the destructions done by the Marquess of the Mine during the War of Succession (1706). One century later (XIX) one new military occupation the Polish Brigade of the marshall Víctor I transport new damages. According to documents, the Counts of Chinchón stopped living the castle from the century XVIII. It seems to be that the current castle is the second building that occupies this emplacement, since the primitive one was destroyed for with posteriority to be reconstructed by the same owners more as a palace, that as a fortification.

Castillo de Santa Bárbara
kuressaare (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kuressaare.
Located on Mount Benacantil, giving it a strong strategic position.Given its name because the day Santa Bárbara was held it was taken by prince Alfonso de Castilla from the Arabs.In times of Felipe II the castle was reformed.Over the centuries XVII, XVIII and XIX, the castle was bombarded on numerous occasions.Open to the public in 1963 and in the same year the two lifts that go up inside the mountain were inaugurated.The case is divided into three enclosures:Torreta, place where the old keep can be found, the intermediary enclosure including the most important rooms, out of which of note is the Salon of Felipe II, the Parade Ground, etc, and the lower enclosure, dating from the XVIII century where the Revellín del Bon Repós is located.

Castillo de Santueri

Castillo de Sohail

Castillo de Artá

Castillo de San Miguel