Castillo de San José Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Castillo de San José
Arrecife, in Lanzarote, Spain
Courtyard and gateway
Castillo de San José Show map of Lanzarote Castillo de San José Show map of Spain, Canary Islands
Coordinates	28°58′15″N 13°32′00″W / 28.97089°N 13.53333°W / 28.97089; -13.53333
Site information
Other site facilities	Art Museum
Site history
Built	1779

The Castillo de San José (which means Castle of San José) is an old fortress and a cool art museum. You can find it in Arrecife, a town on the sunny Canary Island of Lanzarote.

History of the Castle
International Museum of Contemporary Art
Gallery
See also

History of the Castle

Why the Castle Was Built

The Castillo de San José was built a long time ago, between 1776 and 1779. It had two main purposes. First, it was a strong defense against pirate attacks. Pirates used to raid islands, so a fortress was very important.

Second, the castle was a big public project. At that time, people on the island were very poor and hungry. There was a terrible famine. Building the castle gave many people much-needed jobs. Because of this, the castle became known as the Fortress of Hunger (Fortaleza del hambre).

What Caused the Famine?

The famine happened for a few reasons. There were long periods without rain, which meant crops couldn't grow. Also, the Timanfaya volcano had erupted earlier, between 1730 and 1736. This eruption destroyed most of the good farmland on the island.

King Charles III of Spain was very worried about the people of Lanzarote. He ordered the fortress to be built to help them.

How the Castle Was Built

The fort is located on a cliff, high above the Port of Naos. It has a special D-shape, with curved walls facing the sea. These walls were designed to protect against attacks from the water.

On the side facing the land, the back wall has two small towers. There's also a moat, which is a ditch filled with water, and a lifting drawbridge. This drawbridge was the only way to get to the main entrance. The castle was built using strong stone blocks from volcanic rock. Inside, the rooms have curved ceilings and were mainly used to store gunpowder.

International Museum of Contemporary Art

From Fortress to Museum

In the 1970s, the old fortress got a new life. A famous artist named César Manrique, who was born nearby, helped to redesign the inside. He turned the castle into a museum for modern art.

The museum opened its doors in 1976. It is called the International Museum of Contemporary Art (in Spanish, Museo Internacional de Arte Contemporaneo), or MIAC for short.

What You Can See at the Museum

The art pieces in the museum are mostly from the years between 1950 and 1980. They focus on different kinds of abstract art. This means art that doesn't show things exactly as they look in real life.

You can see modern sculpture, which are 3D artworks. There's also kinetic art, which is art that moves. And you'll find geometric abstraction, which uses shapes and lines. Most of the artworks are by Spanish artists. Some famous names include Antoni Tàpies and Eusebio Sempere. There's even a special section for a local artist from the Canary Islands named Pancho Lasso.

The open area outside, called the courtyard, is also used to show large outdoor sculptures and designs.

The Restaurant with a View

Below the museum, a part of the fort was turned into a restaurant. You can go between the museum and the restaurant using a spiral staircase. The dining room has big, curved windows that go from the floor to the ceiling. From here, you get amazing views of the harbor and the ships below.