Castle of Zamora, Spain
The Castle of Zamora is a Middle Ages fortress in Zamora, Spain. It stands northwest of the city's Cathedral.
It features Pre-Roman foundations and a Romanesque general structure. It was built between the 10th and 12th centuries. It stands northwest of the Cathedral, with magnificent views of the town and the river from the keep.
Coordinates: 41°29′59″N 5°45′22″W / 41.4998°N 5.7561°W
History
The origin of the building itself poses the first problem. According to the chronicles it was ordered to build by Alfonso II of Asturias, although the studies made by different historians affirm that it could probably be commissioned by Fernando I of Leon. Therefore, the building dates back to the middle of the 11th century. In any case, there are very few remains of this period.
The city of Zamora constituted a basic pillar for the Christian kingdoms in the process of reconquest. In fact, the taking of this city to the Arabs is described in its chronicles like a terrible blow. That is why historically it has had importance from its construction until centuries later. Under the reign of Felipe V reforms were made to adapt it to the new techniques of war, like the powerful artillery.
Today the perimeter of the castle is conserved, surrounded by a moat that is almost intact. The most important walls, the patio of arms and the tower of the homage also have reached to our days. Nowadays it is owned by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, which is in charge of its conservation and it has been designated as protected by the Spanish Historical Heritage. The city of Zamora used it to host the School of Art of Zamora and the Official School of Languages.until 2007
After four years of work, the restoring and consolidation of the defensive structures was completed in 2009 and El Castillo de Zamora was opened to the public for its visit, with a completely renewed image of both the fortress and the surrounding gardens. The Baltasar Lobo, Castle Center of Art, dedicated to the work of the Zamorano sculptor, has been installed in the defensive enclosure, and as part of its structure.
Features Configuration The castle of Zamora has a diamond-shaped floor. Three towers stand out (two with five points and one with seven). The entire building is flanked by a deep pit, to which in turn the great thickness of the walls with more than two meters in average gives security. To access it there is a bridge that was once drawable and that goes to a door with a pointed arch.
As it has been said before, not many vestiges remain of the original base. In addition, after the reforms undertaken by Philip V a good part of the structure was modified, with the inclusion of an embankment and some more elements that adapted it to the context of the time.
Importance This is one of the most important works within the walled enclosure of the city itself, as well as the Castilian and Leonese context in general. It is located on a natural elevation that would give it even more defensive power.
Environment in the city Attached to the castle is an area known as "Castle Park", formed by gardens and a viewpoint. These would account for the reforms carried out between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, so that with a simple glance you can observe a curious conjugation between the architectural proposals separated in time by several centuries.