Castillo de Montealegre de Campos

Castillo de Montealegre de Campos

For six centuries this medieval fortress in Spain held out against invaders. Discover how the Castillo de Montealegre de Campos retained its impregnability.

The Castillo de Montealegre de Campos is a six-hundred-year-old fortress located in the town of Montealegre de Campos, in the province of Valladolid, in Spain. Built by Alfonso Téllez de Meneses in the 13th century, the high walls of the castle were never conquered, making it one of the most impressive medieval fortifications in the province. The castle played an important role in the conflicts between Pedro I and Enrique de Trastámara. Its last defender was Isabel Téllez de Meneses, wife of Juan Alfonso de Alburquerque.

The last Meneses died without descendants in 1365, and the castle was donated by King Enrique II to his brother the count Sancho. The castle served as a refuge to the communeros during the war of the Comunidades. In 1908, the castle was bought by Lucinio del Corral y Flórez and Florencio Alonso with the intention of selling the stone for the construction of the railroad, but the project was not carried out and the fortress remained intact. Today, it offers a simple Center of Interpretation of the Middle Ages and, from its terrace, an impressive landscape can be contemplated.

It is partially restored and its interior, which houses the Center of Interpretation of the Middle Ages, can be visited from April to September.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons

Written by Nik Frost

Discuss this with the author and others

No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.