Mombeltran Castle, Mombeltrán, Spain

There may have been earlier castles at this site, but the Mombeltran castle we see today was built by Don Beltrán de la Cueva, the first Duke of Alburquerque. He placed his coat of arms and those of his successive spouses above the entrance gate. This makes us believe that the construction of the castle took place between 1462 and 1474. The castle was donated to Don Beltrán by King Enrique IV, in 1461. Because there's architectural similarity between this castle and Belmonte Castle and Manzanares el Real Castle its architect probably has been Juan Guas. Although Mombeltrán Castle has a military and defensive appearance there are also many details of luxury for a palatial residence. Also in the 16th century the castle was modified for even more comfort.

Basically the castle is a square of rubblework and granite ashlar masonry with circular towers in the corners. The largest of those towers was the keep which has a central column in its interior on which the floors rest. Around the castle there is a second enclosure which closely follows the outlines of the inner one. This enclosure is equipped with a barbican.

Mombeltrán Castle lies on a beautiful spot, in the mountains of the Sierra de Gredos.

References:

castles.nl

User Reviews

Robby Reyes (2 years ago)
Beautiful and historic. I believe this castle once belonged to either the sister or the cousin of Catherine of Aragón. Recent restorations have made the area more accessible to people with special needs. You’ll find a beautiful park and a chapel directly adjacent. And if this spot couldn’t be any more beautiful, it sits atop a cliff over looking The Valley. Also just beneath the castle is a skate park and a basketball court…because why not have a skate park and a basketball court beneath a castle

Ryan Galea (2 years ago)
Beautiful setting!

ej rideout (3 years ago)
Beautiful location on way into Los Gredos

Marcos Lopez Cabeceira (4 years ago)
Very nice castle, around an easy access and a wonderful panoramic view on behind.

Pedro Falcon (4 years ago)
PROS: excellent historical building | well located | parking is available CONS: Visits to the castle are by appointment only.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Max Streltcov

Historic Site of the week

House of Blackheads

House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.

The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.

Mombeltran 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

House of Blackheads