Castle of Loarre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Loarre Castle |
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| Castillo de Loarre | |
| Huesca Near Loarre in Spain |
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 Loarre Castle
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| Coordinates | 42°18′56″N 0°37′27″W / 42.31556°N 0.62417°W |
| Type | Castle |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Restored |
| Site history | |
| Built | 11th century (wall built in 1287) |
| Built by | Sancho Ramírez |
The Castle of Loarre is an amazing old castle and abbey. It's built in the Romanesque style. You can find it near the town of Loarre in Huesca Province, Aragon, Spain. This castle is one of the oldest in all of Spain!
Contents
Discovering Loarre Castle's History
The Castle of Loarre was mostly built between the 11th and 13th centuries. Its location was very important back then. It sat on the border between Christian and Muslim lands. This made it a key spot for defense and control.
Early Building and Importance
The first big building project started around the year 1020. This was when Sancho el Mayor (who ruled from 1063 to 1094) took back the nearby lands. He won them from the Muslims. After 1070, Loarre became even more important.
In 1073, King Sancho Ramírez brought a group of Augustinian canons to live there. These were priests who followed special rules. King Sancho Ramírez even planned his attack on Huesca from Loarre in 1094.
Later Changes and Royal Gifts
However, in 1097, King Sancho Ramírez's son, Peter I of Aragon and Navarre, made a change. He gave all the valuable things from Loarre to a new royal monastery. This new monastery was located at Montearagon.
This shows that a second major building phase happened between 1073 and 1097. Many parts of the castle were built during this time. But, looking at other old buildings, it's clear that construction and decoration continued into the 12th century.
Loarre Castle in Movies
Did you know Loarre Castle was featured in a movie? It appeared in the 2005 epic film Kingdom of Heaven. This movie is about the Crusades.
Exploring Loarre Castle's Architecture
The castle's design was shaped by where it was built. It sits on a rocky outcrop. This meant it couldn't be one single, giant building. Instead, Loarre Castle is a group of buildings. These buildings are connected by strong outer walls.
Original Castle Layout
Originally, the castle had two towers inside. It also had a chapel. These were all protected by several curtain walls. Later, towards the end of the 11th century, another chapel was built. This new chapel was in the Romanesque style. It was built just outside the main castle walls.
Outer Walls and Restoration Work
The very outer walls of the castle have eight towers. These were added in the 13th or 14th century. Over the years, the church and castle have been repaired many times. A big restoration happened in 1913. More work was done in the 1970s. These efforts helped rebuild many walls and towers that had fallen apart.
Key Towers and Chapels
At least three towers were part of the original design. Two of them are still standing today. One is the keep, called the Torre del Homenaje in Spanish. The other is the "Tower of the Queen," or Torre de la Reina. There was also a chapel dedicated to Saint Mary of Valverde. Connecting walls linked all these parts.
The keep was built separately from the main defenses. A wooden bridge connected it to the rest of the castle. It had a basement and five floors. The Tower of the Queen is special. It has three sets of windows with two arches each. The columns supporting these arches are wider in the middle. This style is called entasis. The tops of the columns, called capitals, are shaped like trapezoids. These features are similar to both Lombard and Mozarabic building styles.
The chapel has one main room, called a nave. It ends in a rounded section at the east, called an apse. This apse has a semicircular ceiling. The original wooden roof of the nave was replaced with a stone ceiling at the end of the 11th century.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Loarre para niños
