Valladolid Castles
Castle of Curiel
The oldest castle of the province. Some experts believed it was
built in Roman times. The masonry dates from the 9th century.
It preserves the remains of an important walled enclosure.
Castle of Encinas
In 1394 Diego López de Zúñiga acquired the
village of Encinas and had the castle built.
In the 16th century Antonio del Río Aguilar purchased the
castle and had it reformed: the large windows (closed today) were
added, as well as the coats of arms of the Aguilar family, located
in the corners of the towers, very similar to the ones located
in his funereal chapel in the convent of Parral in Segovia.
In the early 20th century it was purchased by Cándido Moyano,
who emptied out all the indoor premises, since they were in bad
condition. The castle was later on rented as a home to several
neighbours of the village.
In the 50's, it was acquired by the Senpa and used as a silo.
Today it is not in use.
Late 14th-century castle-palace, a rectangular "safe house"
with regular interior courtyards.
It is a Mudejar castle-palace, like the castles of Curiel, Yanguas
and Toral.
A solid-looking structure, with square turrets topped with battlements.
Castle of Fuensaldaña
Built in the 15th century by the Vivero family as a noble home.
The family became linked to the region's history when the future
Catholic Monarchs got married in their castle.
During the Comunidades war, it was peacefully occupied by the
comunero troops.
The castle was restored by the Provincial Government to make it
into a tourist Parador, but this never happened. Then it was donated
to the Regional Government and became the General Assembly of
Castilla y León. For this reason, the interior has been
heavily altered.
Castle of Íscar
The oldest part preserved is the remains of the wall hugging the
perimeter of the hillock. A moat and a tower, the centre of today's
structure, were built on the side overlooking the moorland.
The tower was reinforced in the 15th century. Different structures
were added later on.
The most peculiar of these structures is the north side of the
tower, where a solid round cube was attached, with three sentry
boxes. It served as a buttress, to avoid the tower crumbling down.
There were some serious foundation problems in the past.
Pedro de Zúñiga, the second Count of Miranda del
Castañar, was responsible for the main works carried out
in the castle. His coat of arms, Zuñiga y Avellaneda, and
that of his wife, Catalina de Velasco y Mendoza, can be seen in
the castle.
The coats of arms are inverted, like the ones in San Felices de
los Gallegos and Villalonso.
Legend has it that Alfonso XI killed one of the mayor's squires
because he refused to lodge him when he was hunting in the area.
Castle of la Mota
One of the larges castles in Castilla y León. It dates
from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Important works were carried
out under the Catholic Monarchs in the 15th century. It is owned
by the Junta de Castilla y León (Department of Education
and Culture). It is complete and restored. It holds courses, seminars
and conferences (accommodation included).
The present castle used a corner of the old village, built with
masonry, like in the castle at Olmedo.
The staircase, built in the walls, leads to the tower and was
built during the restoration works of 1923 and 1940.
The present building is the result of the restoration works which
left the interior distribution of the building untouched, except
for the entrance hall and the access to the tower of homage, where
modern structures were attached.
The present castle dates from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries,
with important works carried out under the Catholic Monarchs in
the 15th century.
It used to be a state prison, Many important politicians and military
men of the 16th and 17th centuries served time in it.
It was restored in 1940 and subsequently transferred to the Junta
de Castilla y León.
Castle of Montealegre
It is a huge castle, built in the 14th century. Its walls and
towers were never conquered. It is owned by the Ministry of Agriculture.
It was used as a cereal silo. Today it is not in use.
The castle is shaped as a trapezoid..
It was built in the 14th century, possibly by Alfonso de Meneses,
due to its pentagonal tower, reminiscent of the fortresses of
Ayllón and San Felices.
The walls are 4 metres thick and almost 20 metres high.
Above the pointed entrance is the coat of arms of the Alburquerque
family.
The pentagonal tower is accessed, on the grond floor, through
a pointed door decorated with Gothic flower motifs.
The castle, as well as the village, are inextricably linked to
the life of the Valladolid poet Nicolás Guillén.
It was used as a shelter by the Comuneros during the Comunidades
wars.
Castle of Peñafiel
One of the most representative examples of the so-called "rock"
castles in Castile, Peñafiel represented, together with
its castle, a strategic point along the Duero defensive line,
both for the Christian and the Muslim troops, around the 9th and
10th centuries.
The present castle is unfinished. It was built on previous ruins
in the 15th century by Don Pedro Girón, master of the Calatrava
Order.
Upon taking it from the very hands of the Moorish leader Almanzor,
in 1013, he had the first stones laid and proclaimed it "the
most faithful rock in Castile".
Castle of Portillo
This castle was built between the 14th and 15th centuries. Quite
complete. The tower houses a photo exhibit that may be visited.
It is owned by the University of Valladolid.
The castle is the result of several consecutive building stages
over a period of 150 years.
In 1470 the Count of Benavente had the exterior barrier built,
tus strengthening the military structure of the castle, which
had been more of a palace until then.
The Prince Tello was its first builder. Over the years it passed
through the hands of many a Castilian family, such as the Sandovals
or the Mendozas. It was finally owned by Rodrigo Alonso Pimentel,
the Count of Benavente.
Don Álvaro de Luna was imprisoned in it prior to his execution
in Valladolid.
Castle of Simancas
Built in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries by the Admirals of
Castile, the powerful Enríquez family.
It is owned by the Ministry of Culture and houses the General
Archive of Simancas.
Castle of Tiedra
It has a three-storey tower of homage. The highest one housed
a pigeon loft. The tower has vaulted ceilings and conserves part
of the original beams and the spiral staircase.
The rectangular tower is built with large stones. It was built
by Alfonso de Meneses, the brother of María de Molina,
in the late 17th century.
When the Meneses lineage disappeared, Enrique II donated the castle
to the Alburquerque family. Juan II confiscated the village and
the fortress in 1430, and used it as a prison (the bishop of Palencia
was locked in it). Later on it became the property of the Girón
family.
The north and west fronts formed part of the original 12th-century
wall, of which only a few remains have been preserved on the opposite
side of the hillock.
It stood on the border of Castile and León, although it
always belonged to the kingdom of León.
The fortress was part of the price paid by El Cid to Doña
Urraca to get her to liberate Zamora on behalf of Sancho II, who
lost his eyesight in the siege of 1072.
Castle of Tordehumos
Medieval castle. The village is named after it.
The name of Tordehumos makes reference to the signals of smoke
that became from the tower of this strength.
Castle of Torrelobatón or of the Comuneros
Rock castle flanked by two wolves chained to the lock of the entrance
gate, known as the castle of the Wolf Tower, as indicated by the
village's coat of arms and that of the castle itself.
Built with large stones, it has very thick walls.
The pointed arches indicate it must have been built in the 13th
century, undergoing reforms in the 15th century.
There is a square courtyard, with three cubes in one of the angles
and a projecting cubic turret in another.
The ground floor of the tower of homage is he oldest part of the
castle.
The castle was attacked in 1521, during the Comunidades war, by
Juan Padilla. The structure was severely damaged and had to be
rebuilt in 1538.
Castle of Urueña y Murallas
The walled structure hugs the jagged side of the bleak plateau,
overlooking the vast Tierra de Campos.
The castle has a square ground plan, with round cubes reminiscent
of the fortress in Toro.
The space between the wall and the castle might have been a defensive
yard.
Two gates led inside the enclosure, the Azogue and the Villa gates.
The main access gate, not preserved, must have been located in
the highest part of the village, where the cemetery gate stands
today.
Urueña was part of the manor of Valladolid that Alfonso
VII had given to his sister Sancha.
Its strategic location in Tierra de Campos, on the very border
of the kingdoms of Castile and León, made her the battleground
of numerous wars between the two kingdoms.
León kept the upper hand until 1281, when the fortress
was reconquered by the Castilian troops.
Castle of Villafuerte
It has crenellations, angular cubes and battlements similar to
those of the Fuensaldaña castle.
The Tower of Homage has been restored and furnished. Today it
houses a museum.
It was erected in the 15th century, forming pat of the defensive
line drawn alongside of the river. Its first lord was García
Franco, a Jew who later on converted to Christianity. It might
have been built in order to control his properties. We must remember
that the Jews were frequently attacked during the 15th century.
Castle of Villalba de los Alcores
Strictly military rectangular castle.
Construction started in the early 13th century by the Order of
the Hospital Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, upon their return
from the first Crusade.
It was part of a defensive triangle that also included the bastions
of Montealgre and Valdenebro (the latter no longer standing).
The defensive system was based on a triple enclosure surrounded
by a wall.
Near Villalba is the village of Fuenteungrillo, one of the most
important medieval villages of the Region.
Valladolid guide