Peñaranda de Duero Castle, Peñaranda de Duero, Spain

The castle of Peñaranda de Duero is a well preserved Gothic castle. The castle originally dates from the 10th century but reforms by Counts of Miranda del Castañar in the 15th century changed much of the building. Today the castle stands at the start of a defensive wall that formerly surrounded the town, of which only the crenellated arch of 'Las Monjas' still stands.

The castle was an important point on the fortified line which existed between the medieval Christian Kingdom of Castile and the Moor state of Al Andalus during the 10th century. The castle is a narrow walled precinct, with a four story keep rising from the center. The keep features a rooftop terrace, battlements, a gallery of machiolations, and three additional square towers, two of which flank the ogival arch that marks the entrance. The walls are solid stone ashlar stone, although much of the keep features decorative wooden beams.

Today, the Castle of Peñaranda de Duero serves as one of the many historical monuments and tourist attractions in the area.

References:

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Abbey of Saint-Georges

Saint-Georges de Boscherville Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey. It was founded in about 1113 by Guillaume de Tancarville on the site of an earlier establishment of secular canons and settled by monks from the Abbey of Saint-Evroul. The abbey church made of Caumont stone was erected from 1113 to 1140. The Norman builders aimed to have very well-lit naves and they did this by means of tall, large windows, initially made possible by a wooden ceiling, which prevented uplift, although this was replaced by a Gothic vault in the 13th century. The chapter room was built after the abbey church and dates from the last quarter of the 12th century.

The arrival of the Maurist monks in 1659, after the disasters of the Wars of Religion, helped to get the abbey back on a firmer spiritual, architectural and economic footing. They erected a large monastic building one wing of which fitted tightly around the chapter house (which was otherwise left as it was).

Elena Cabezas (3 years ago)
Beautiful

Eliseo Javier ASSO SAMPER (3 years ago)
Great place!

יוסי גינוסר (4 years ago)
this elongated fortress is like an archetypal castle drawn by children with a forest of turrets and crenellations. Originally built in the 10th century but effectively dating from the 15th, it's a stunning backdrop to the town and worth exploring for the views from on high.

Paweł Tychek (5 years ago)
Very good Access. Perfect view.

Peñaranda de Duero Castle

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