positioned at the foot of Charles V Castle, in Hondarribia, one stands on ancient ground. It is believed that this castle was built at the end of the 12th century, possibly ordered by the king of Navarre. The castle was later rebuilt, around the same time as a new town, Hondarribia, arose nearby. It was occupied by nobility and heads of state, standing as a testament to Castile's brief conquest of the Basque Country during a time documented in the castle's walls.
The castle held power for centuries, yet it couldn't escape turbulence – during the course of the Hundred Years' War, the castle, at an unknown point, was destroyed. By the turn of the 15th century, it was rebuilt, and its lofty position served the armies of France and Spain vying for influence. A cannon platform stood where the battlements once were, the fortress repurposed for a different kind of war – the power struggles of European monarchies.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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