Castle of Burguillos del Cerro: A Medieval Fortress in Spain
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.6
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Spain
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Almohad, Crown of Castile
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page8 sections
History
Muslim Origins and Christian Conquest
The Castle of Burguillos del Cerro is a medieval fortress in Burguillos del Cerro, Spain. It has Muslim origins and was built in the thirteenth century to protect people from nearby small settlements threatened by Christian sieges. Those inhabitants probably took part in its construction.
Around 1230, the Knights Templar conquered Burguillos. This medieval Christian military-religious order had been founded to protect pilgrims and support the Crusades. In 1240, Ferdinand III of Castile and León granted the town and castle to the Templars. His reign expanded Christian Castilian rule across much of southern Iberia. The order held Burguillos until it was suppressed in 1311–1312.
Seigneurial Rule and Reconstruction
In 1320, the king granted Burguillos and its castle to Alfonso Fernández Coronel, lord of Aguilar. Ownership passed in 1393 to Diego López de Zúñiga, lord of the House of Béjar. The town and fortress then remained within the seigneurial system, a form of medieval lordship governed by nobles or other privileged lords, until that system ended.
The castle was reconstructed during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, after its thirteenth-century construction. It is regarded as one of the most important fortresses in Extremadura. Restoration and rehabilitation have included work connected with tourist visitation. The castle has generic legal protection and is listed in Spain’s register of Assets of Cultural Interest under reference RI-53-0000370.
Remains
Fortified Layout
The castle occupies the summit of a rocky hill overlooking Burguillos del Cerro in the Zafra-Río Bodión district, south of Badajoz Province. Its quadrangular plan is defined by two principal towers, the Torre Parda and the keep, or Torre del Homenaje, together with three smaller towers. Of these smaller structures, two are circular and one is prismatic.
An interior military courtyard fills the quadrilateral. It formerly contained several rooms and a cistern, a tank used to collect or store water. The fortress also had a moat, which has since been filled in. An outer wall enclosed the castle, although only a very limited part of it survives.
Towers and Entrance
The Keep
The Torre del Homenaje has a lower body that is more massive than its upper section. A machicolation projects from the tower, forming a defensive structure with openings through which objects could be dropped or discharged onto attackers below. Inside, a large hall has two domes, and a staircase rises toward the upper part of the tower.
The Gothic Doorway
Entry is through a Gothic doorway bearing the coat of arms of the Zúñiga family. A machicolation stands above the entrance. The towers, courtyard, and keep survive, and the castle is described as being in good condition.
