The Castle of Jadraque is located in the municipality of Jadraque, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It sits on a hill overlooking the plain of the Henares river and is sometimes referred to as the Castle of Cid because it is mentioned in the poem Cantar del Mio Cid.
Archaeological investigations have shown that the site was used since prehistoric times. It later served as a fortification for the emirate of Spain and its Moorish descendants before being conquered by the Christians under Alfonso VI of Castile in 1085. The castle was purchased by cardinal Pedro González de Mendoza in 1469.
The current structure dates to the late 15th century and is attributed to Juan Guas. Built in ashlar stone, the rectangular fortress has a perimeter of 240 metres and features four round towers and one rectangular tower. While it served as a noble residence for the Mendoza family, it was also used as a fortress during the War of Spanish Succession and the Peninsular War.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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