Top 10 most beautiful castles in Spain
A country steeped in history, Spain has its share of charming castles. Even though royalty lived in them for brief periods, more often Spanish castles were designed to withstand sieges. Here is a collection with the most spectacular castles and forts in Spain.
10.Castle of Alarcon
The Castle of Alarcon forms part of the fortifications built around the town of Alarcon in Cuenca. The fortress is composed of a walled enclosure, which houses the heart of the population and the castle, and of five exterior towers, separate and strategically placed.
During its time under Muslim power, the castle served as a defensive stronghold in the midst of internal conflicts. In 1184, Fernan Martinez de Ceballos, military captain under Alfonso VIII of Castile, besieged the fortress for nine months before finally capturing it in the name of his king.
From then on, the Castle of Alarcon received much attention from the successive kings of Castile, who expanded and reinforced it while providing it with its own charter and granting it lordship over extensive neighboring territories.
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9.Aljaferia
The Aljaferia Palace is a fortified medieval Islamic palace built during the second half of the 11th century in the Taifa of Zaragoza of Al-Andalus, present day Zaragoza, Spain. The palace reflects the splendor attained by the kingdom of the taifa of Zaragoza at the height of its grandeur.
The palace currently contains the Cortes (regional parliament) of the autonomous community of Aragon. The structure holds unique importance in that it is the only conserved testimony of a large building of Spanish Islamic architecture of the era of the Taifas (independent kingdoms).... view details
8.Castle of Xavier
The Castle of Xavier is located on a hill in the town of Javier, 52 km east of Pamplona. Built in the 10th century, this castle was the birthplace and childhood home of Saint Francis Xavier, son of the Lords of Xavier.
The Castle of Xavier is the target of a massive pilgrimage in early March, in honor of the patron saint of Navarre.... view details
7.Palace of the Kings of Navarre of Olite
The Palace of the Kings of Navarre of Olite or The Royal Palace of Olite was one of the seats of the Court of the Kingdom of Navarre, since the reign of Charles III 'the Noble' until its union with Castile (1512).
In the 15th-century, a German traveller wrote his impressions about the palace in his diary (which is now conserved in the British Museum in London):
"Surely there is no king with a more beautiful castle or palace and with so many gilded rooms (...) it could not say or even could imagine how magnificent and sumptuous is this palace (...)"
The monument was damaged in 1813 by a fire during the Napoleonic French Invasion. It was largely restored in the first half of the 20th century, in works that ...... view details
6.Coca Castle
Coca Castle is one of the best exponents of Gothic-Mudejar Spanish architecture and it is declared a National Monument. It is one of the few fortresses of Spain that does not sit on a hill, but on plain land, surrounded by a broad, deep moat.
The castle is made mainly of brick, used both as raw material and as a decorative element. The limestone appears in the loopholes, the columns of the courtyard, and other decorative elements.
In 1958, parts of the castle rooms became the headquarters of the Forest Training School.
This castle of Coca (at least its exteriors) was chosen by Hollywood filmmakers to sub for the Camelot castle of King Arthur in the 1967 film of the musical CAMELOT.... view details
5.Atalaya Castle
The Atalaya Castle is located over a spur of the Sierra de la Villa mountains, in the north-western part of the province of Alicante, and it commands the former frontier between Castile and Kingdom of Aragon.
The castle was an important stronghold on the northern frontier of the Islamic emirate of Iberia, and resisted to three different sieges laid by James I of Aragon. He was finally able to conquer it in 1240, although the castle was handed over to the Kingdom of Castile after the Treaty of Almizra of 1244.
The castle is now in good conditions and is the centre of the yearly Moros y Cristianos feast.... view details
4.New Castle of Manzanares El Real
The New Castle of Manzanares El Real is a palace-fortress erected in the 15th century at the foot of Sierra de Guadarrama mountains.
Its construction began in 1475 on a Romanesque-Mudejar hermitage and today is one of the best-preserved castles of the Community of Madrid. It was raised on the river Manzanares, as a residential palace of the House of Mendoza, in the vicinity of an ancient fortress that was abandoned once the new castle was built.
The castle now houses a museum of Spanish castles and hosts a collection of tapestries.... view details
3.Alhambra
Alhambra is one of Spain's major tourist attractions, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the inspiration for countless songs and stories.
The Alhambra is a magnificent palace, fortress, and garden complex, recognized as the most spectacular example of Moorish architecture in Spain and one of the most renowned in the world.
The vast palace compound developed gradually through additions and modifications made during both the Muslim and Christian periods.
It all started with a small fortress built in the ninth century on the remains of Roman fortifications.
Most of the structures we see today were built during the Nasrid dynasty, which ruled the Emirate of Granada for over two centuries... view details
2.Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos
The Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos (Spanish for 'Castle of the Christian Monarchs'), is a medieval Alcazar located in the historic centre of Cordoba, next to the Guadalquivir River and near the Grand Mosque.
An alcazar is a type of Moorish castle or palace in Spain and Portugal built during Muslim rule. The fortress served as one of the primary residences of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon.
The Alcazar has two towers: the Torre de los Leones ("Tower of the Lions) and the Torre de Homenaje ("Tower of Homage"). The latter has Gothic features including an ogival ceiling.... view details
1.Alcazar of Segovia
The Alcazar of Segovia is a famous medieval castle and one of the most visited landmarks in Spain.
The Alcazar served both as a royal palace and a fortress for the Castilian monarchs.
However, throughout its long history, the building also served as a state prison, a Royal Artillery College, a large chemistry laboratory, and a military academy.
The castle has been the stage for crucial events in Spain's history.
For instance, the first meetings of the Cortes of Castile or the proclamation of Queen Isabella of Castile, one of the most significant and influential women in history.... view details
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