Castles in Spain
Alhambra
Alhambra is a Moorish Castle above Granada.
“Who has not seen Granada, has not seen anything”, say residents of the town.
This castle is the most famous proof of Islamic architecture in Europe. It presents the image of strength and size.
However, it also fascinates with its grandiose red towers and walls. “Kalat Al-hambre”, the Moors called this place. Its name means ‘red tower’.
Furthermore, its interior walls look as if they were made of Brussels lace. Granada is a city of nearly 160,000 inhabitants and the capital of Upper Andalusia. However, after Arabic occupation of Spain in 711 it became a significant city.
El Alcazar
El Alcazar from Segovia is the most popular Spanish castle. The fortress has been shown in many films, on posters, ads and science-fiction games. It is no wonder because the castle has a fairy-tale look.
It is reported that Segovia’s Alcazar was very important for all the kings who ruled over Spain. In 1862, the castle served as the royal military school for artillery. It was destroyed by fire, but due to its large number of defensive towers; facades and important buildings were preserved. After that event, Alcazar was reconstructed and today it is approximately in the same shape.
Almansa
Almansa Castle is located in the province of Abbas, about 75km north of the city of Alicante, in south-eastern Spain.
The castle was founded by the Arabs. According to legend, in 1282 an agreement was signed between the royal representatives and Jaime I of Aragon and his son-in-law Don Alfonso of Castile. The agreement established the border between the kingdoms of Murcia and Valencia.
The castle was completely rebuilt in the fifteenth century, when it got a quadrilateral tower. After the battle near the Almansa, a crown of Spain fell into the hands of Philip V. The Castle looks like it makes a homogeneous unit, however with closer research of its components, it can be concluded that the castle was rebuilt many times over the centuries.
El Escorial
Philip II built this castle over thirty years. It cost him 5 million 260 thousand 570 ducats. This building is a mix of palaces, monasteries and tombs of gigantic sizes. It is located in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama.
The style that was used for building Escorial is known as Herrera. Juan de Herrera (ca.1530-1597) was the architect of this castle. He finished what his teacher Juan Bautista de Toledo began in 1563. The palace was built as a symbol of the victory of Philip II against the French at St.Quentin.
Construction is 207 meters long and 161 meters wide. It has the form of a quadrangle and at all four corners it has towers. The design was based on the model of the Church of Saint Peter in Rome. King Philip II did not want anything for himself, but only one cell to rest his tired body. Finally, he made the museum, library and the “Panteon de los Reyes”, the graves of Spanish kings.
This place looks more like a huge fortress than a palace. It is under the protection of UNESCO from 1984.