The Castillo de Santa Catalina is a fortification and palatial residence located in the East district of Málaga, Spain. Originally ordered in 1625 as the Fuerte Alto de la Caleta, it was built as a defense for La Caleta under the direction of Bishop Francisco de Mendoza and the design of Sebastián de Arriba. The original layout featured two circular towers in the north and two diamond-shaped bastions facing the beach, with an interior courtyard for barracks and rooms for the guard and storage.
In 1849, the State sold the site due to its bad state of conservation, at which point it passed into private hands. Between 1929 and 1933, a palace was constructed within the enclosure at the request of Manuel Loring to serve as a family home. Designed by French architects Lahalle and Levard, the building was inspired by Andalusi architecture. Following the civil war, the palace served as the headquarters for the Patronato Nacional de Turismo and hosted Francisco Franco in 1943 and 1956, as well as Saúd bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia in 1962.
The current complex consists of two distinct structures: the remains of the original fortress, which includes a stone and lime battery, a reconstructed bastion, two towers, and sections of walls integrated into the gardens, and the 1930s palace. The site was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural in 1989 and currently operates as a five-star hotel.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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