Tema: Castles in Spain

Castle of Peñafiel

Penafiel is one of the most important fortresses of medieval Castile The ridge between the Duero and the Duraton rivers must have always been fortified. Count Sancho Garcia conquered the site in the eleventh century, and later AIfonso X left it to his brother, Don Juan Manuel, who undertook important constructions in 1307. The principal tower was rebuilt during the reign of John II. The present structures date mostly from the fifteenth century.

Its irregular plan follows the long, narrow ridge on which it sits The main walls are very thick and are reinforced by a variety of circular and rectangular towers. A second, lower wall encloses the larger one. The gate is set obliquely into the eastern wall and is defended by two cylindrical towers. From the outer gate one reaches the entrance to the main enclosure by a transverse wall with its own ditch. Federico Bordeje has called this inner gate one of the most perfect in the history of military architecture
The principal tower dominates the ensemble, and its rectangular form nearly crosses the entire enclosure. Its silhouette is animated by small turrets at the comers and the center of the walls.

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