The Remains of a Medieval Transition: The Pedraja Castle

The Pedraja Castle, also known as the Castle of Liencres or the Castle of Hercules, was a medieval structure believed to have been founded by Garcilaso I de la Vega at the end of the 13th century or the beginning of the 14th century. It was originally located on La Picota mountain, overlooking the town of Liencres in the Cantabria region of Spain. The castle served as the defense for the lordship of La Vega, owned by the House de La Vega. In 1403, it became the administrative and judicial center of the Vega family.

The castle disappeared in the 19th century, with the last known record being the citation of Father Sota in 1861. He considered the ruins burned and abandoned, possibly during the lawsuits that took place in Cantabria during the Modern Age. Today, the ruins of the tower and the remains of the fence and moat remain preserved, and it has been protected as an archaeological site since 2004.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons