Yanguas Castle, Yanguas, Spain - SpottingHistory.com

To the west of the Yanguas town, on the edge of the cliff, is a limestone castle that controlled the access to the Ebro valley. It is not certain when it was first built and it is possible that it was built when Yanguas received its own town charter. However, the architectonical style suggests that it was built in the 14th century.

Recent restoration works have given the castle back the dignity it deserves to be a heritage site and have made it possible to understand the defensive function of the unique columned and cobbled weapon yard. Another feature that has been restored is the tower on the north-western side.

It has a quadrangular floor plan and towers on each of the corners. On the walls, there are battlement hexes, a chemin de ronde and narrow loophole windows. There are also two gates, one on the west and the other on the east side, that gave access to the castle.

References:

sorianitelaimaginas.com

User Reviews

Perla Negra (7 months ago)
Castle in the process of maintenance and restoration can only be visited a few days in advance by reservation, but from the bars installed on the access doors you can see the interior well enough. What can be improved and the state of the information panels, very deteriorated and almost unreadable. Another point to improve is the path that allows the perimeter of the castle, there is a completely impassable area due to lack of pruning.

Manuel Miranda (8 months ago)
A beautiful town !!

Oscar Zamora (9 months ago)
The Castle has been restored and I think they have taken great pains to preserve its original style, it was closed but I really did not do anything to get the keys. It actually has two gates from which you can see its interior well. I have taken the trouble to rewrite the original poster that is in very bad condition like others in the town due to vandalism, I retouched some posters with the help of photoshop, so that you can have information about what you can see in this wonderful place.

Fran del Val (9 months ago)
A fairly well-preserved, well-renovated castle that is best enjoyed with the guidance of the person in charge of the town hall. Do not hesitate to go.

Ivan Mora (14 months ago)
The very beautiful and charming town to spend the great day.

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Historic Site of the week

Heraclea Lyncestis

Heraclea Lyncestis was an ancient Greek city in Macedon, ruled later by the Romans. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC. The city was named in honor of the mythological hero Heracles. The name Lynkestis originates from the name of the ancient kingdom, conquered by Philip, where the city was built.

Heraclea was a strategically important town during the Hellenistic period, as it was at the edge of Macedon"s border with Epirus to the west and Paeonia to the north, until the middle of the 2nd century BC, when the Romans conquered Macedon and destroyed its political power. The main Roman road in the area, Via Egnatia went through Heraclea, and Heraclea was an important stop. The prosperity of the city was maintained mainly due to this road.

The Roman emperor Hadrian built a theatre in the center of the town, on a hill, when many buildings in the Roman province of Macedonia were being restored. It began being used during the reign of Antoninus Pius. Inside the theatre there were three animal cages and in the western part a tunnel. The theatre went out of use during the late 4th century AD, when gladiator fights in the Roman Empire were banned, due to the spread of Christianity, the formulation of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the abandonment of, what was then perceived as, pagan rituals and entertainment.

Late Antiquity and Byzantine periods

In the early Byzantine period (4th to 6th centuries AD) Heraclea was an important episcopal centre. A small and a great basilica, the bishop"s residence, and a funerary basilica and the necropolis are some of the remains of this period. Three naves in the Great Basilica are covered with mosaics of very rich floral and figurative iconography; these well preserved mosaics are often regarded as fine examples of the early Christian art period.

The city was sacked by Ostrogoth/Visigoth forces, commanded by Theodoric the Great in 472 AD and again in 479 AD. It was restored in the late 5th and early 6th century. When an earthquake struck in 518 AD, the inhabitants of Heraclea gradually abandoned the city. Subsequently, at the eve of the 7th century, the Dragovites, a Slavic tribe pushed down from the north by the Avars, settled in the area. The last coin issue dates from ca. 585, which suggests that the city was finally captured by the Slavs. As result, in place of the deserted city theatre several huts were built.

The Episcopacy Residence was excavated between 1970 and 1975. The western part was discovered first and the southern side is near the town wall. The luxury rooms are located in the eastern part. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th rooms all have mosaic floors. Between the 3rd and 4th rooms there is a hole that led to the eastern entrance of the residence. The hole was purposefully created between the 4th and 6th century.

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