Villafranca del Bierzo Castle, Villafranca del Bierzo, Spain

The Villafranca del Bierzo Castle was built in 1515 over the remains of a previous fortification. Its first owner was Don Pedro Alvarez de Toledo (second marques of Villafranca) and since 1850 by Don Joaquin Caro y Alvarez.

More of a fortified-palance than a castle, it was ransacked in 1809 by the English and in 1815 and 1819 by the French during the Independence War.

This building is located in a town of great importance on the pilgrims’ route to Santiago. It has the form of a large square with a rounded turrets at the corners, with the rooms of the palace arranged around a central interior courtyard.

User Reviews

nancy bonce (6 years ago)
Imponente castillo con sus grandes torres, en buen estado de conservación, parte de él está habitado por los propietarios, no sé si se puede visitar el interior, sólo los vimos desde el exterior.

Rafael Corzo (6 years ago)
Es una pura ruina

maira rodrigues (6 years ago)
Preservado, lugar agradável e cheio de histórias!

Eva Fernadez González (6 years ago)
Pena q no lo dejen ver x dentro la parte no habitada ... X dos euros entraría mucha gente, sacarían para las mejoras d el... En fin es solo una opinión más.

PITUAVILES Miguel García (6 years ago)
Pintoresco, agradable para dar un paseo por sus calles y tomar algo en la plaza mayor

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

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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.

Villafranca del Bierzo Castle

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