Arcos de la Frontera Castle

Arcos de la Frontera, Spain

Arcos de la Frontera Castle was first constructed in the 11th century by the Moors when Arcos was briefly a taifa (small kingdom) before being captured by the Christians in 1250. The Christians rebuilt the castle as part of their campaign to retain their hold on the town, which was in a strategically important position for maintaining the border between the Muslim and Christian kingdoms.

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Address

Plaza del Cabildo s/n, Arcos de la Frontera, Spain
See all sites in Arcos de la Frontera

Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Spain

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.andalucia.com

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Basílica de Santa María de la Asunción (0,1 km)


Cádiz Cathedral (49,9 km)
Roman Theatre (49,8 km)
Jerez de la Frontera Cathedral (30,6 km)
Alcazar of Jerez de la Frontera (30,6 km)
Torre Tavira (50 km)
Museum of Cádiz (49,6 km)
Puertas de Tierra (49,6 km)
San Dionisio Church (30,4 km)
Castellar de la Frontera Castle (57,3 km)

User Reviews

Irena Shields (2 years ago)
It's very friendly relaxed and family organised.
Daniel Saraiva (2 years ago)
Beautiful town with loads of history and astonishing views. Take your comfy shoes as you'll be walking up and down narrow streets that ooze Andalucían vibes.
Adrian Laza (2 years ago)
80 € for wrong parking (petty offence/denunciado leve), inacceptable way to treat tourists, disproportionate fine
manuel gomez (2 years ago)
A beutiful tourist spot. Must be seen to witness such beauty. Full of history and charm.
M Pom (2 years ago)
EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING to find a medieval Moorish castle that the public is not allowed to visit. If the country is going to leave such historic gems to private hands it should be on condition that the public can have access. It's beautiful but you can only see from the outside. A real shame.
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Glimmingehus is the best preserved medieval stronghold in Scandinavia. It was built 1499-1506, during an era when Scania formed a vital part of Denmark, and contains many defensive arrangements of the era, such as parapets, false doors and dead-end corridors, 'murder-holes' for pouring boiling pitch over the attackers, moats, drawbridges and various other forms of death traps to surprise trespassers and protect the nobles against peasant uprisings. The lower part of the castle's stone walls are 2.4 meters (94 inches) thick and the upper part 1.8 meters (71 inches).

Construction was started in 1499 by the Danish knight Jens Holgersen Ulfstand and stone-cutter-mason and architect Adam van Düren, a North German master who also worked on Lund Cathedral. Construction was completed in 1506.

Ulfstand was a councillor, nobleman and admiral serving under John I of Denmark and many objects have been uncovered during archeological excavations that demonstrate the extravagant lifestyle of the knight's family at Glimmingehus up until Ulfstand's death in 1523. Some of the most expensive objects for sale in Europe during this period, such as Venetian glass, painted glass from the Rhine district and Spanish ceramics have been found here. Evidence of the family's wealth can also be seen inside the stone fortress, where everyday comforts for the knight's family included hot air channels in the walls and bench seats in the window recesses. Although considered comfortable for its period, it has also been argued that Glimmingehus was an expression of "Knighthood nostalgia" and not considered opulent or progressive enough even to the knight's contemporaries and especially not to later generations of the Scanian nobility. Glimmingehus is thought to have served as a residential castle for only a few generations before being transformed into a storage facility for grain.

An order from Charles XI to the administrators of the Swedish dominion of Scania in 1676 to demolish the castle, in order to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of the Danish king during the Scanian War, could not be executed. A first attempt, in which 20 Scanian farmers were ordered to assist, proved unsuccessful. An additional force of 130 men were sent to Glimmingehus to execute the order in a second attempt. However, before they could carry out the order, a Danish-Dutch naval division arrived in Ystad, and the Swedes had to abandon the demolition attempts. Throughout the 18th century the castle was used as deposit for agricultural produce and in 1924 it was donated to the Swedish state. Today it is administered by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

On site there is a museum, medieval kitchen, shop and restaurant and coffee house. During summer time there are several guided tours daily. In local folklore, the castle is described as haunted by multiple ghosts and the tradition of storytelling inspired by the castle is continued in the summer events at the castle called "Strange stories and terrifying tales".

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