Spain abounding in castles, it is a paradise for all fans of the Middle Ages or medieval fantasy. What places! Valladolid has its own and although there are surely other corners of the country with more castles than this province, the truth is that its castles and fortresses They stand out for their great state of conservation.
The castles of Valladolid They are something worth seeing, so although there are many, we will see today the most recommended when visiting.
Valladolid
Today it is a province, municipality and city. It used to be an almost uninhabited land until the repopulation ordered by Alfonso VI and in the Middle Ages the court of Castile was here, from whose hand its prestige grew. Here the Kings were married Catholics, many sovereigns were born and Columbus died, for example, or Cervantes finished his glorious Don Quixote. In other words, Valladolid has a history.
That is why has many castles, palatial residences and beautiful churches. In terms of castles, as we said above, these are spectacular, true examples of the Castilian nobility of the XNUMXth century. Thus, most of them are in the Gothic style, although some have some Mudejar details. They are also imposing, square or rectangular, with corner towers and stately Torres del Homenaje. These are the castles we recommend visiting:
El Torrelobatón Castle It is located in the Montes Torozos and is one of the best preserved in all of Castilla y León, in addition to being a Historical Heritage. It has origins in the thirteenth century and was in the hands of the admirals of Castile in the fifteenth century, the Enríquez family. It took its current form in that century and was an example to follow for other fortresses.
The Torre del Homenaje is 40 meters high, It is square and has eight circular towers on top, good places to look and attack since the fortress was built to control the valley. It has three floors and a staircase of 143 steps connects them, although it has many doors. It also joins the patio. There are remains of a moat and a barbican, and until the XNUMXth century it also had battlements on different levels but then it was renovated.
The Community Movement Interpretation Center works within the walkway and the Torre del Homenaje and here you can learn about the history of the castle and the region.
- Location: Torrelobatón.
- Hours: in summer it opens on Fridays from 5 to 7:30 pm and on weekends and holidays from 11 to 2 pm and from 4 to 6:30 pm. From Tuesday to Sunday there is also an information office.
- You can arrange group visits every day except Monday and Tuesday morning.
- Telephone for information: 665 834 753
El La Mota Castle It is located in the town of Medina del Campo, on a speck precisely, which has a broad view of the town and its surroundings. It's red brick, with little stone and its plant is trapezoidal.
You have two walls and two access bridges although only one is a drawbar. Precisely over the arch you will see the coat of arms of the Catholic Monarchs placed there in 1483 which is when the construction works finished. The castle has a moat with an underground shooting gallery, there are five towers, including the Tower of Homage, 40 meters high and five floors, and a parade ground.
In the interior building is the María del Castillo Chapel, open for visits, with a Philippine ivory cross and a beautiful flamenco triptych. Today the castle divides its time between congresses and events and tourist visits.
- Location: Median del Campo
- Hours: in summer it opens from Monday to Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm and from 4 to 7 pm. On Sundays and holidays between 11 am and 2 pm. In winter it opens from Monday to Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm and from 4 to 6 pm. Sundays and holidays between 11 am and 2 pm.
- Admission is free.
- There are guided tours from Tuesday to Sunday. The visit to the castle in Spanish does not include the tower but the archaeological site of the Iron Age, the underground shooting gallery, the parade ground, the chapel, the exteriors and the Repopulation wall. This visit costs 4 euros. For visits in other languages, reservations must be made. The visit to the tower is only in Spanish and is accessed by the staircase of honor to the living room, the queen's dressing room, the internal rooms and the viewpoint. It costs 4 euros too.
- Telephone: 983 81 27 24
El Villafuerte Castle is in Villafuerte de Esgueva and also it was built in the XNUMXth century. Its builders and owners were members of the Franco family, Jewish converts from Toledo. Like the other castles that named its design follows the model of the so-called Valladolid School.
The XNUMXst century has arrived in very good condition and has been luckily restored. Have square plan with round towers in some of its corners and one imposing Tower of Homage with smaller and semicircular towers. It is not that this castle was super defensive, it could not cope very well, for example, with the firearms of that time, but it was effective in protecting the lords from the conflicts and revolts of the town.
- Location: Villafuerte de Esqueva
- Hours: it is necessary to arrange visits and for that you have to contact the Villafuerte Historical Association at phone 687 851 930
El Castle of Peñafiel It is in the town of the same name and was built in 1013 by the Count of Castile along with the village walls that are still partly standing. It has a history full of historical figures: Urraca de Castilla and her husband, Alfonso VI, Urraca's father and even the famous Cid Campeador's cousin, just to name a few.
That first castle suffered the vicissitudes of local political history so in 1451 its demolition was ordered. The current building dates from the XNUMXth century, like most of the castles of Valladolid that are included in this list. Ultimately the moat, another wall, and a tower were born. It is narrow and long, 210 meters long and less than 40 wide.
It has two walls and a Tower of Homage 34 meters high with three floors. In one of its terraces is where The Provincial Wine Museum has been operating since 1999, worth visiting.
- Location: Peñafiel
- Hours: from October to March open from Tuesday to Sunday and holidays from 10:30 am to 2 pm and from 4 to 6 pm. From April to September it does the same days but on Sundays it closes at 8 pm. The closing days are December 24, 25 and 31 and January 1 and 6.
- Information: 983 881 199
El Castle of Fuensaldaña it also follows the model of the Valladolid school. It was built by the Vivero family, of Galician origin, and as a curiosity it must be said that Here the Catholic Monarchs spent their honeymoon.
It is not a fortress castle, that is, it was never intended as a warrior construction but rather residential. Its Torre del Homenaje is 34 meters high and it is rectangular, in addition to having access by drawbridge at the beginning. Inside are three floors and a basement, all linked by a spiral staircase. It has a crenellated terrace with four sentry boxes, one in each corner, and a room with barred windows on each floor.
- Location: C / del Agua, Fuensaldaña.
- Hours: from October 1 to March 31 from Thursday to Sunday and holidays open from 10:30 am to 2 pm and from 4 to 6 pm. From April 1 to September 30, it opens from Tuesday to Sunday and holidays from 10:30 am to 2 pm and from 4:30 to 8 pm.
- The visit is group and free, but to enter the premises it is necessary to request authorization.
These are just some of the many castles of Valladolid. If you like castles a lot, it is best to take a map and draw a sort of route to get to know them, but of course, you must have a car and think about where to spend the night. It is not difficult and it is very fun to undertake. You dare?