Urueña Castle

Urueña, Spain

The Urueña castle was built around the year 1060 by the Castilian monarch Fernando I el Magno (the Great). It is built on the remains of a Roman fort. Overlooking the Tierra de Campos it has always been a strategically important place. Urueña was on the border between the two kingdoms Castilla and León. After many battles the kingdom of Castilla reconquered the castle in the year 1281.

The Queen Doña Urraca lived in this castle. Also Doña María de Padilla, mistress of King Pedro I of Castilla, lived here. Later the castle was used as a prison: Doña Beatriz Princess of Portugal was held here as one of the prisoners. From the 19th century it was used as a cemetery. Today only the exterior walls of the castle remain.

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Address

Corro de Santo Domingo 10, Urueña, Spain
See all sites in Urueña

Details

Founded: 1060
Category: Castles and fortifications in Spain

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Villavellid Castle (7,3 km)
Villagarcía de Campos Castle (6,3 km)


Plaza Mayor (40,1 km)
Valladolid Cathedral (40,5 km)
Santa María La Antigua (40,5 km)
Iglesia de San Pablo (40,3 km)
Museo Nacional de Escultura (40,4 km)
San Benito el Real (40 km)
Royal Palace of Valladolid (40,2 km)
Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor (28 km)
Santa María del Azogue (50,1 km)

User Reviews

Pedro Francisco (11 months ago)
Experiencia agradable, muy apto para niños aunque los mayores también disfrutan. Gran exposición
MIGUEL A SÁNCHEZ (12 months ago)
Bonito pueblo Urueña, conocido como el pueblo del libro. Fue un acierto incluirlo en la ruta por Castilla y León, merece la pena desviarse y conocerlo, para poder perderse entre sus murallas. El castillo estaba cerrado y no ponía ningún horario de apertura, una pena esa falta de información.
Jorge Sanz (12 months ago)
Castillo en bastantes buenas condiciones. Ubicado en Urueña, un pueblo inscrito en los “pueblos más bonitos de España”, de forma merecida. Sus iglesias, corros (plazas), su muralla en muy buenas condiciones o su título desde hace 11 años como primera villa del libro de España. Sus murallas de una altura remarcable llama la atención especialmente.
Andrea ea (12 months ago)
La villa del libro de Urueña es un pueblo precioso, merece la pena visitarlo, no solo por sus librerías para los amantes de la lectura, sino por las vistas de los campos de Castilla que rodean al pueblo. Es un lugar único en el que merece la pena parar aunque sea para una visita rápida.
jesus manuel sancho (13 months ago)
Un pueblo muy bonito , las librerías merecen la pena , la muralla impresionante; el entorno es nuestra "ANCHA ES CASTILLA" conviene reservar para comer esta vez nos toco en la barra por falta de previsión. pero sin problemas ,
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Klis Fortress

From its origin as a small stronghold built by the ancient Illyrian tribe Dalmatae, becoming a royal castle that was the seat of many Croatian kings, to its final development as a large fortress during the Ottoman wars in Europe, Klis Fortress has guarded the frontier, being lost and re-conquered several times. Due to its location on a pass that separates the mountains Mosor and Kozjak, the fortress served as a major source of defense in Dalmatia, especially against the Ottoman advance, and has been a key crossroad between the Mediterranean belt and the Balkan rear.

Since Duke Mislav of the Duchy of Croatia made Klis Fortress the seat of his throne in the middle of the 9th century, the fortress served as the seat of many Croatia"s rulers. The reign of his successor, Duke Trpimir I, the founder of the Croatian royal House of Trpimirović, is significant for spreading Christianity in the Duchy of Croatia. He largely expanded the Klis Fortress, and in Rižinice, in the valley under the fortress, he built a church and the first Benedictine monastery in Croatia. During the reign of the first Croatian king, Tomislav, Klis and Biograd na Moru were his chief residences.

In March 1242 at Klis Fortress, Tatars who were a constituent segment of the Mongol army under the leadership of Kadan suffered a major defeat while in pursuit of the Hungarian army led by King Béla IV. After their defeat by Croatian forces, the Mongols retreated, and Béla IV rewarded many Croatian towns and nobles with 'substantial riches'. During the Late Middle Ages, the fortress was governed by Croatian nobility, amongst whom Paul I Šubić of Bribir was the most significant. During his reign, the House of Šubić controlled most of modern-day Croatia and Bosnia. Excluding the brief possession by the forces of Bosnian King, Tvrtko I, the fortress remained in Hungaro-Croatian hands for the next several hundred years, until the 16th century.

Klis Fortress is probably best known for its defense against the Ottoman invasion of Europe in the early 16th century. Croatian captain Petar Kružić led the defense of the fortress against a Turkish invasion and siege that lasted for more than two and a half decades. During this defense, as Kružić and his soldiers fought without allies against the Turks, the military faction of Uskoks was formed, which later became famous as an elite Croatian militant sect. Ultimately, the defenders were defeated and the fortress was occupied by the Ottomans in 1537. After more than a century under Ottoman rule, in 1669, Klis Fortress was besieged and seized by the Republic of Venice, thus moving the border between Christian and Muslim Europe further east and helping to contribute to the decline of the Ottoman Empire. The Venetians restored and enlarged the fortress, but it was taken by the Austrians after Napoleon extinguished the republic itself in 1797. Today, Klis Fortress contains a museum where visitors to this historic military structure can see an array of arms, armor, and traditional uniforms.

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