Fuensaldaña Castle, Fuensaldaña, Spain

Fuensaldaña Castle construction started in the 13th century, but it is not until the 15th century that the structure acquires today's configuration. It was built by the Vivero family. The family became linked to the region's history when the future Catholic Monarchs got married in their castle.

Inside, the building was shaped as a 'U' around the cortyard, which today has been made into the parliament floor. During the Comunidades war, it was peacefully occupied by the comunero troops. The castle was the General Assembly of Castilla y León.

Inside the keep are four vaulted halls out of ashlar masonry. The keep, like the curtain walls, is also equipped with round towers at its corners, two nice turrets and battlements.

References:

Junta de Castilla y León

User Reviews

Laurinda Lee (5 months ago)
Very nicely restaured castle, all the media and exhibition was very contemporany, went on a open doors weekend so it was quiet a busy day. A few nice books, pity we didn’t get to see them for in open doors day it’s really crowded! Very nice staff, helpfull and orienting visitors.

David Angulo Duque (5 months ago)
The castle has been recently opened, in February 2019. It was remodelled into a interpretation center of castles. The visit is a must because you will learn about Valladolid castles and the vivero's family which were the builders of this building.

Arun Prasad (13 months ago)
Beautiful fields and scenes all around

Rigoberto Banuelos (16 months ago)
Very nice castle. The surrounding area is also very nice. The town is very small and has alot of charm. There is currently some construction on the castle but otherwise everything is pristine. The tour of the castle is great. I would recommend visiting this castle.

Tracy ShafferEscalante (2 years ago)
Nice little museum. However it is now closed to the public.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Alexxx1979

Historic Site of the week

Church of the Savior on Blood

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is one of the main sights of St. Petersburg. The church was built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated and was dedicated in his memory. Construction began in 1883 under Alexander III, as a memorial to his father, Alexander II. Work progressed slowly and was finally completed during the reign of Nicholas II in 1907. Funding was provided by the Imperial family with the support of many private donors.

Architecturally, the Cathedral differs from St. Petersburg's other structures. The city's architecture is predominantly Baroque and Neoclassical, but the Savior on Blood harks back to medieval Russian architecture in the spirit of romantic nationalism. It intentionally resembles the 17th-century Yaroslavl churches and the celebrated St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.

The Church contains over 7500 square metres of mosaics — according to its restorers, more than any other church in the world. The interior was designed by some of the most celebrated Russian artists of the day — including Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov and Mikhail Vrubel — but the church's chief architect, Alfred Alexandrovich Parland, was relatively little-known (born in St. Petersburg in 1842 in a Baltic-German Lutheran family). Perhaps not surprisingly, the Church's construction ran well over budget, having been estimated at 3.6 million roubles but ending up costing over 4.6 million. The walls and ceilings inside the Church are completely covered in intricately detailed mosaics — the main pictures being biblical scenes or figures — but with very fine patterned borders setting off each picture.

In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, the church was ransacked and looted, badly damaging its interior. The Soviet government closed the church in the early 1930s. During the Second World War when many people were starving due to the Siege of Leningrad by Nazi German military forces, the church was used as a temporary morgue for those who died in combat and from starvation and illness. The church suffered significant damage. After the war, it was used as a warehouse for vegetables, leading to the sardonic name of Saviour on Potatoes.

In July 1970, management of the Church passed to Saint Isaac's Cathedral (then used as a highly profitable museum) and proceeds from the Cathedral were funneled back into restoring the Church. It was reopened in August 1997, after 27 years of restoration, but has not been reconsecrated and does not function as a full-time place of worship; it is a Museum of Mosaics. Even before the Revolution it never functioned as a public place of worship; having been dedicated exclusively to the memory of the assassinated tsar, the only services were panikhidas (memorial services). The Church is now one of the main tourist attractions in St. Petersburg.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory. It's absolutely free, easy, and you can do it even without registration (of course you an also create an free account)!

Fuensaldaña Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Must-see historic sighs in Luxembourg

Top historic sights of Istria

Best castles to visit in Slovakia

Historic Site of the week

Church of the Savior on Blood

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?