Castle of Chinchilla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Castle of Chinchilla |
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| Native name Spanish: Castillo de Chinchilla |
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| Location | Chinchilla de Monte-Aragón, Spain |
| Official name: Castillo de Chinchilla | |
| Type | Non-movable |
| Criteria | Monument |
| Designated | 1931 |
| Reference no. | RI-51-0000363 |
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The Castle of Chinchilla (in Spanish: Castillo de Chinchilla) is an old castle found in Chinchilla de Monte-Aragón, Spain. It was officially recognized as an important historical site in 1931.
Right now, you can only see the outside of the castle because the inside is being fixed up. When you visit, you can still see parts of ancient Iberian and Roman buildings that were there before.
What the Castle Looks Like
The Castle of Chinchilla, which Muslims called Ghenghalet, was built in the 18th century on top of an older Arab fort. Juan Pacheco, who worked for the Marquis of Villena, designed the castle. He used ideas from many different styles of building forts.
The castle has strong walls made of stone that are 10 meters (about 33 feet) wide and 6 meters (about 20 feet) deep. You can see Arab influences in its design, like special "elbow entrances" that make it harder for enemies to get in. It also has "albarrana towers," which are towers built outside the main walls but connected to them. There are also secret underground tunnels that brought water into the castle.
Around the castle, there's a deep ditch called a moat, which is 16 meters (about 52 feet) deep. The castle also has many towers, including a very famous one called the Torre del Homenaje (Tower of Homage).
Castle History: Key Dates
- 1242: The castle was taken back from the Muslims. This was led by Pelayo Pérez Correa, the Commander of Ucles, with an army of Christians from Castile and Aragon.
- Late 13th Century: Important buildings started to appear in Chinchilla. These included the San Juan convent, the Church of El Salvador, and the Santa María church.
- 14th Century: Chinchilla became part of the Señorío de Villena, a special land area ruled by Don Juan Manuel.
- 1422: King Juan II officially made Chinchilla a city.
- 1448: The building of the castle we see today began. It was started by Juan Pacheco.
- 1504: A famous person named Cesar Borgia was held prisoner in the Tower of Tribute.
- 1576: You can still find proof that Juan Pacheco built parts of the castle. His family's coat of arms is on the walls. A survey from 1576 also says: "This tower, fortifications and moat were made by the Marquis of Villena."
- 1812: During the Independence War, French soldiers damaged the inside and outside of the castle.
- 1900: The city council wanted to turn the castle into a prison. Because of this, they removed all the remaining parts of the interior that the French troops had left behind.
- 1973: The town council got the castle back. They destroyed the prison, which had been empty for 27 years.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Chinchilla de Montearagón para niños
