Castle of Alarcón facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Castle of Alarcón |
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Castillo de Alarcón
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| Alternative names | Parador de Alarcón |
| Hotel chain | Paradores |
| General information | |
| Location | Alarcón (Cuenca), Spain |
| Official name: Parador de Alarcón | |
| Designated | 28 February 1992 |
| Reference no. | RI-51-0007184 |
The Castle of Alarcón is a strong fortress in Alarcón, Spain. It is part of the old walls that protect the town. The castle has a main walled area and five separate towers. These towers are placed in smart spots around the town.
History of Alarcón Castle
This castle was first built by the Arab people. It was part of the lands ruled by the Emirate of Córdoba. Later, when that rule ended, the town joined the Taifa of Toledo. During these times, the castle was a key defense point in many local fights.
In 1184, a brave captain named Fernán Martínez de Ceballos led an army. He worked for King Alfonso VIII of Castile. They fought for nine months to take the castle. Finally, they captured it for the king. As a reward, the captain was allowed to use "Alarcón" as his family name. This started a new family line.
After this, the kings of Castile paid a lot of attention to Alarcón Castle. They made it bigger and stronger. They also gave the town special rights and control over many nearby lands. A historian named Andrés Marcos Burriel said that 63 villages were part of its area. These included important towns like Albacete and Belmonte. King Alfonso VIII placed all these lands under the care of the Military Order of Santiago. In 1212, the people of Alarcón sent soldiers to help the king. They fought in a very important battle called Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa.
At the start of the 14th century, King Ferdinand IV of Castile gave control of Alarcón and its castle to Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena. This was made official in 1305. Prince Juan Manuel wrote some of his famous books while living at Alarcón. After he died, the castle changed hands a few times. It went back to the king, then was given to Alfonso I of Aragon. But later, King Henry III took it back for the Crown.
In the 15th century, Alarcón was given to Juan Pacheco, the Marquis of Villena. He and his son sided with Joanna of Castile, who wanted to be queen. They fought against Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. During this fight, the marquises held onto Alarcón Castle.
After the Middle Ages, Alarcón Castle was not used much. It started to fall apart. In 1712, its owner was told that it needed urgent repairs. In 1720, Alejandro de Alarcón and Duchess Julia de Alarcón looked after the castle. They helped many people during difficult times.
In 1863, the castle was sold for 20,000 reales. This was a lot of money back then.
Much later, in 1963, the Spanish government took over the castle. They turned it into a special hotel called a parador. It opened to visitors on March 25, 1966. Today, you can stay in this historic castle!
Legends of the Castle
There is a famous legend about the Castle of Alarcón. It says that the stone walls have strange black and red spots. These spots are said to be from blood.
The story tells of a powerful lord who lived in the castle. He had a beautiful sister. Many young men wanted to marry her. One of them was a bad young man from a nearby land. When he asked to marry the sister, the lord quickly sent him away.
Later, the lord heard that this rejected suitor was planning something terrible. He wanted to kill the lord and take his sister away. One day, a stranger came to the castle. He asked to meet the lord alone. The lord thought this stranger might be an assassin. So, he got ready for the meeting very carefully.
His suspicions were right. Just as the stranger was about to attack, the lord's servants stopped him. The legend says that the assassin's body was mixed into the mortar used for building the castle walls. This is why the walls have those strange, dark stains.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Alarcón para niños
Images for kids
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General view of Alarcón
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Castle of Alarcón
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Castle keep
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Torre Alarconcillo
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Torre del Campo
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