Peñafiel information
The town of Peñafiel, fortified in 1307, was once a commercial and historic centre of the first order. Its famous castle, declared to be a National Monument in 1917, sits on a hill.
The castle's current appearance is the result
of a combination of several structures, the first of them from
the 9th or 10th century, and the last from the mid-15th century.
It is a very well-preserved fortress, which has a length of more
than 200 metres and is built in the shape of ship. The keep is
flanked by two courtyards: one to the north, which contains the
underground reservoirs and the store rooms, and one to the south,
which currently houses the Provincial Wine Museum and was the
site of the stables and guards' quarters. The entire town was
surrounded by walls which ran down from the ends of the castle.
Only four round turrets, two to the south and two to the north,
and several panels remain of them. Other than the castle, the
most important building in Peñafiel is the church of San
Pablo, founded in the 14th century, which is the finest example
of the Valladolid region's Gothic-Mudejar architecture. Outstanding
inside is the funeral chapel of the Manuel family, with elements
of plateresque decoration.
Valladolid guide