Castro Fortress, Vigo, Spain

The Fortaleza del Castro is a hilltop fortress in Vigo built in 1665 during the Portuguese Restoration War in order to protect the city from the continuous raids by the British Royal Navy, allies of Portugal.

Built on the hill of the same name, the defensive system of the city consisted of the fortresses of Castro and San Sebastián and the now disappeared city wall. The city wall had an irregular shape due to the orography of the city, it was constructed by the Engineer Colonel Fernando de Gourannanbergue and maestre de campo Diego Arias Taboada to link the two fortresses. Despite this effort to provide security to the city, documents from that time say that this defensive system was ineffective as it could not impede landings further along the coast.

After several attempts to improve the defenses of the city, Vigo was looted again by British navy on the 23-24 October 1702 during Battle of Vigo Bay at the War of the Spanish Succession.

In 1809, the fortress was occupied by the French army during Peninsular War; on 28 March that year the fortress was reconquered following an uprising by people of Vigo, because of the city was given the honorific title of 'the faithful, loyal and courageous city of Vigo' the following year.

Nowadays the fortress is one of the preferred sites for people to take a walk in Vigo, because his beautiful gardens, open spaces, fonts and also the privileged views.

References:

Wikipedia

Castles and fortifications in Spain

User Reviews

Ville Wanhatalo (2 years ago)
This fortress and hill is a highlight in the whole city of Vigo. A historical attraction but it also offers amazing views over the city and Cies islands located on the Atlantic coast. Must visit if you are in Vigo!

sudesh1970 (2 years ago)
Absolutely stunning views from the top You walk around the fort and you get 360 degree views of Vigo

Daniel Dantas (2 years ago)
Beautiful place with an amazing view. The castle is very interesting and it’s very strong what happened here during the dictatorship. The view of the ria, the city and the islands is one of the best you will see in your life. By far the best place to watch the sunset

Dmitry G. (2 years ago)
Must see place in Vigo. Best views, nice place to walk and have a picnic. It's free! :)

Laura Grace S. (2 years ago)
Nicely maintained gardens. Panoramic view of the city and port. Good walk up with many stairs. There is a cafe (O'Castro) which serves drinks, beers, snacks and ice cream near the top).

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.

Castro Fortress

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