The forgotten castle of Grajal de Campos: Spain's first fortress with artillery

Grajal de Campos Castle, declared Monumento Nacional, was a 16th-century military construction built over the remains of a 10th-century castle. It was considered the first castillos con artillería (castles with artillery) in Spain. Fearful of an impending uprising against Carlos V, Hernando de Vega, the powerful lord of Grajal, commissioned the castle without waiting for royal approval. Garrisoned and artillado throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the castle remains isolated and neglected today, with only a cemetery built next to the northern adarve serving as a reminder of what once was.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons