Cuéllar Castle, also known as the Castle of the Dukes of Alburquerque, is the most emblematic monument in the town of Cuéllar, located in the province of Segovia, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It was declared Bien de Interés Cultural on 3 June 1931. The castle stands on top of a hill at the highest point of the town, above the so-called citadel and enclosing the walled enclosure. It has a total area of 1,025 m2, and its highest point is located in the keep, which reaches a height of 20 m.
The history of the castle is deeply rooted in the medieval period. While the walled enclosure appears in documents from 1264, restoration work revealed an 11th-century wall. A Mudejar gate on the south façade dates from the late 12th or early 13th century, suggesting the castle arose at the same time as the walled enclosure. The first record of the castle as such dates from 1306, when Ferdinand IV granted the town the use of certain fines to refurbish the fortress.
Throughout the centuries, the castle hosted notable figures such as monarchs Juan I and Leonor de Aragón y de Sicilia, as well as the writer José de Espronceda. It saw a period of ownership by the Dukes of Alburquerque and was held by Álvaro de Luna in 1433. During the Spanish War of Independence, the fortress was a coveted location for French forces. The Duke of Wellington even set up a garrison barracks in the castle during this conflict. In 1972, the Department of Fine Arts carried out an intensive restoration, and the castle has served as the home of a Vocational Education school to this day.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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