Simancas Castle, Simancas, Spain

The site of the Simancas castle was at one time a Moorish fortress. In the 15th century the House of Enríquez constructed a new fortification on top of the existing ruins, restored the Moorish walls, and added a chapel. The new castle was seized by the Spanish Crown during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs and turned into a prison. In 1540 the Archivo General de Simancas was established in the castle, the first official archive of Castile. Felipe IItransformed the castle into General Archive of the Kingdom, which housed one of the most important archives in Europe with 35 million documents. The castle was put under the protection of the Spanish government in 1949. In 1952 renovations were enacted to reduce risk to the archives. The castle is now open to tourists and researchers.

The castle's foundation, walls, battlements, gates, and bridges all date back to the late 15th century, mostly attributed from 1467 to 1480. The end of the reconquesta in 1492 ended the immediate need for a large defensive fortification, and as such the castle's various reconstructions molded it into an administrative building. Later additions to the castle incorporate aspects of the Herrerian style of architecture. The current archive housed within the castle has been protected with fireproofing measures, and the 15th century chapel built by the Enríquez has been restored.

References:

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User Reviews

Duncan Parsons (6 months ago)
The location of the General Archive of Simancas. A remarkable collection of documents. And the building is equally special. Free .

Anton Ivanov (4 years ago)
The best place...

John and Maria's Campervan adventures (5 years ago)
Great Irish history in this place dating back to 1602

gonzalo celis (6 years ago)
El edificio en si precioso, pero solo puedes ver la parte donde se encuentra el archivo, muy valioso por cierto, pero no tienen a nadie para enseñarte otras partes del castillo. En la oficina de turismo que está allí mismo hay una mujer que te explica muy bien la historia del castillo y lo que representó en su epoca

Enric Rubio (6 years ago)
Enclave fantastico

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