Castle of Castilnovo: A Historic Fortress and Noble Residence in Segovia, Spain

Visitor Information

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Official Website: www.castillocastilnovo.com

Country: Spain

Civilization: Unclassified

Remains: Military

History

The Castle of Castilnovo stands near the municipality of Segovia in Spain and has roots tied to Muslim construction, although the earliest surviving physical traces date back to the medieval Christian period. While traditions attribute its original foundation to prominent figures of Al-Andalus such as Abd ar-Rahman I in the 8th century or Almanzor in the 10th century, no surviving archaeological evidence confirms buildings from these early centuries.

The fortress’s confirmed historical development begins in the 12th and 13th centuries, when its earliest structures were erected as part of the Christian reconquest and consolidation of territory. Over the following centuries, the castle evolved into a significant noble residence while maintaining its defensive role, reflecting the complex politics of medieval Spain. It housed important figures including Álvaro de Luna, a powerful constable of Castile, the influential Juan Pacheco who held the title Marquis of Villena, and members of the Velasco family, Counts of Castilnovo.

In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the castle was incorporated into a lordship established by King Ferdinand the Catholic. He granted it as part of a dowry to his daughter Juana of Aragon and her husband Bernardino Fernández de Velasco, the first Duke of Frías. The fortress also served a role as a place of captivity when it held the sons of King Francis I of France after the Treaty of Madrid in 1526, underlining its strategic and political importance.

Throughout the Early Modern period, ownership of Castilnovo passed among several noble houses, including the Counts of Osorno and Lodosa, as well as the Marquises of Belveder. In the 19th century, the castle came into the hands of a German prince before being sold in 1859 to José Galofré, secretary and court painter to Queen Isabel II of Spain. He initiated restoration work that shaped much of the castle’s present appearance.

In the 20th century, the Marquises of Quintanar inherited the site and added a rural wing inspired by traditional Segovian architecture. The castle gained official recognition as a Cultural Heritage Site (Bien de Interés Cultural) in 1931. Later, in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, a Spanish-Mexican association known as Castilnovo S.A. owned the fortress, expanding it with a large hall and establishing a library focused on Spanish-Mexican culture. It was offered for sale in 2016 but was ultimately withdrawn and made available for rent instead.

Remains

The Castle of Castilnovo presents a square-plan compound that merges the characteristics of a fortress with those of a palace. Its construction combines ashlar stone, known for its finely cut and dressed blocks, with layers of brickwork inspired by Mudéjar style—a style blending Islamic and Christian design elements—and rubble masonry often referred to by local terms like calicanto or cachotaría. The complex rests atop a natural rocky outcrop approximately 1000 meters above sea level, overlooking the valley of the San Juan River.

The castle’s silhouette is marked by six prominent towers, added over successive centuries from the medieval period through the Renaissance. Three of these towers are prism-shaped and bear individual names—Solana, Puerta, and Vieja—while the other three are cylindrical, known as Moro, Caracol, and Álvaro de Luna. These towers display a variety of windows and balconies framed by diverse arch forms, including alfiz (a rectangular frame surrounding the arch), ajimez (paired twin windows), horseshoe, conopial (a lobed Gothic arch), and pointed arches. Some decorative details reflect Mudéjar motifs, although portions also date to 19th-century restoration campaigns.

The castle’s defensive capabilities are evident in towers with minimal window openings, designed for protection, contrasting with other areas that feature wooden balconies overlooking the surrounding landscape, blending defense with residential comfort. Inside, the fortress encloses a central courtyard, or patio de armas, which serves as the heart of the complex. Along the western side of this courtyard stand pointed arches dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, representing some of the site’s oldest surviving masonry.

Within the walls, several rooms have been arranged as museum spaces, complementing the large library established in recent times by the castle’s modern owners. The structure’s partial coverage by thick vegetation adds to its atmospheric setting but does not obscure the medieval construction phases discernible in the masonry and layout. The castle’s combination of military architecture and residential embellishment demonstrates its longstanding function as both a stronghold and noble residence.