Segorbe Castle, Segorbe, Spain

Segorbe Castle was an Arabian alcázar (palace or castle). Very little remains of the original alcázar, but the large complex was a residence of lords, dukes and kings for over a millennium.

.After the Muslim king of Valencia, Zayd Abu Zayd, converted to Christianity and declared himself an ally and vassal of King James I of Aragon, he ceded the fortress to James in 1229 and became governor general of Valencia on his behalf. The castle became a sanctuary for Zayd Abu Zayd himself when he was killed by Dynamil Zayyan until James captured the castle in 1245, and placed Abu Zayd in command of an army to assist in the retaking of Valencia.

The castle had a peak in the 14th and 15th centuries, culminating in the holding of General Courts by King Martin of Aragon, who had made the city his residence.

In 1784, urban expansion of Segorbe beyond the original medieval fortifications required further construction, and new walls were built. After the works were completed, the new walls had eight gates.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Tyrone Murtagh (7 months ago)
Nice castle, didn't take long to walk all round, very quiet and peaceful

P. (2 years ago)
The sleepy town of Segorbe has a lot to offer - many churches and a catedral being some of them - and its castle sits atop of the hill, as if a crown. It has been nicely restored and it offers 360 degrees views on the surrounding valleys and mountain ranges, making it easy to understand why this particular place has been chosen for the construction. Worth coming for the views, although the restoration was so good it might have taken some of its original charm - the construction almost seems brand new.

Alastair Ecclesfield (3 years ago)
Mui Bonito le panorama espectacular. Very pretty fantastic panorama and even better free. Well worth a visit as is the whole of the town

Altair Breckwoldt Jurado (4 years ago)
Super nice place to have nice views of Segorbe

Miriam Oro (5 years ago)
Segorbe it's a beautiful town on the top of the hill Cerro de Sopeña, we can appreciat the remaining city walls. Unfortunately the castle was closed underwork so we couldn't see inside. Overall nice place to stop and visit.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

Historic Site of the week

Church of St Donatus

The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.

The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.

The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.

Segorbe Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Church of St Donatus