A 11th-century castle and the queen it hidden

The Alcazaba of Tudela was a castle and fortress with its own garrison in the 11th century, right on the southern edge of medievalNavarra. If you're standing before it, you're looking across an incredible expanse of the Ebro River valley, one of the most spectacular sights in the region. But that's not the only thing worth seeing in the Alcazaba. Hidden within its walls lies a representation of Spain's often-overlooked queens.

The Alcazaba was built for the high nobleman Sancho VII of Navarra, and its purpose was primarily defensive. But in the same century that it was built, one of Spain's most powerful queens, Urraca of Zaragoza, was raised mere miles away. Urraca was the first known queen of Navarra.

Urraca was imprisoned by her own husband, Alfonso VI of Castile, when he invaded Navarra. She fled to Zaragoza, taking refuge in the fortified city. But even after she was pardoned following decades of captivity, she returned to Zaragoza, where she was buried in the Church of San Juan de la Peña. She was so powerful that Alfonso of Aragon, who was Rex Navarrae ten years after her death, raised a chapel in her honor in the Alcazaba.

The chapel was lost for centuries, obscured by remodeling, neglect and time. But after more than a millennium, Castilian archeologists rediscovered it, restoring it to its former glory.

Today, you can walk through the Alcazaba and catch a glimpse of the chapel's altar. But for a full look, you'll need to go inside. There, behind the walls of this ancient castle, you can catch a glimpse of Spain's forgotten queens.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons