Vélez-Blanco Castle, Vélez-Blanco, Spain

According to an inscription in the courtyard, the Vélez-Blanco Castle was built between 1506 and 1515 after Fajardo received the lordship of the town from Ferdinand II and Isabella, took up residence there and was given the title of Marqués (1507) by Ferdinand, who was then regent. The heraldry of the principal areas of the castle, including the coat of arms of his second wife, Mencía de la Cueva, belongs to this period.

The castle is situated on a hill overlooking the town. An important aspect of this castle is its huge tower, Torre del Homenaje, which is over 20 m high, an emblematic element of the castle and a symbol of the power over the dominion. The stone structure, had wooden stairs, which could be removed in case of danger isolating the upper level as a last defense. There is a vast number of decorative elements topping its battlements. The building has been restored in stages during the second half of the 20th century, including the floors of the towers.

The fortified areas of the castle, particularly the defences and the Late Gothic east gallery of the courtyard, are examples of late 15th-century Spanish art.

User Reviews

Paul Anderson (6 months ago)
Free entry to a small (inside) but large castle in the Italian style. Stunning. Great spot for amazing photos and drone shots... lovely staff very helpful and a wonderful village.. very highly recommended..

P (10 months ago)
Beautiful Castle in a beautiful bucolic setting. The village is also quite attractive too. Nearby just outside town there is some delightful Cave Art. You'll need to check in first to be able to see it with the guide.... The scenery and mountains here make for a truly wonderful panoramic setting. A visit to both Velez Blanco and nearby Velez Rubio is highly recommended...... Lovely place. Entry to the Castle is free. The marble interior of a large part of the Castle was sold in the early 1900's and was put back together in the Metropolitan museum in New York. Now that's a strange occurrence and one that should provide enough impetus for a visit to see this unusual and historic building....

Sonia Martin (10 months ago)
I visited on a Tuesday, The castle was closed. Lovely area stunning views of the church and surrounding areas from the castle. I visited early June very quiet. Street parking is free and parking up by the castle. Definitely worth a look

Malcolm The Millipeed (10 months ago)
Wow! Amazing setting. Great castle to visit. Entry FREE! Stunning views. Looks like the kind of castle you would expect to have seen in Gamd of Thrones, especially the prommonade balcony. Privileged to have seen the eagles soaring past whilst we were there!

Caroline B (2 years ago)
Lovely castle and free to visit. In need of restoration, it’s a shame to see a wonderful old building be left this way. Nothing to tell you what anything is and the only information at the bottom was in Spanish. Needs to be a bit more English friendly. Worth a visit though

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Roman Moško

Historic Site of the week

Trencín Castle

Trenčín Castle is relatively large renovated castle, towering on a steep limestone cliff directly above the city of Trenčín. It is a dominant feature not only of Trenčín, but also of the entire Považie region. The castle is a national monument.

History of the castle cliff dates back to the Roman Empire, what is proved by the inscription on the castle cliff proclaiming the victory of Roman legion against Germans in the year 179.

Today’s castle was probably built on the hill-fort. The first proven building on the hill was the Great Moravian rotunda from the 9th century and later there was a stone residential tower, which served to protect the Kingdom of Hungary and the western border. In the late 13th century the castle became a property of Palatine Matúš Csák, who became Mr. of Váh and Tatras.

Matúš Csák of Trenčín built a tower, still known as Matthew’s, which is a dominant determinant of the whole building.

Vélez-Blanco Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historical Gems of Costa Verde

Historic Site of the week

Trencín Castle