Castle of Peñaranda de Duero facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peñaranda Castle |
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| Castillo de Peñaranda de Duero | |
| Peñaranda de Duero, Burgos province, Spain | |
Castle of Peñaranda, 2011
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| Coordinates | 41°41′24″N 3°28′53″W / 41.69000°N 3.48139°W |
| Type | Castle |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (Spain) |
| Controlled by | Kingdom of Castile (10th-11th century) Crown of Castile (11th-18th century) |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Partially preserved |
| Site history | |
| Built | 10th century; rebuilt 15th century |
| Materials | Ashlar stone |
| Garrison information | |
| Past commanders |
Counts of Miranda del Castañar (House of Zúñiga): |
| Garrison | Diego López de Zúñiga y Guzmán (1457-1479) Pedro de Zúñiga y Avellaneda (1479-1492) Francisco de Zúñiga Avellaneda y Velasco (1492-1536) Juan de Zúñiga y Avellaneda |
The Peñaranda Castle is a cool old castle in a town called Peñaranda de Duero, Spain. It's in the Burgos province. This castle is a great example of Gothic style, which was popular for buildings a long time ago. It was first built way back in the 900s! But then, in the 1400s, some important people called the Counts of Miranda del Castañar made many changes to it. Today, the castle stands at the beginning of an old wall that used to protect the town. Only a special crenellated arch called "Las Monjas" is left from that wall.
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What is Peñaranda Castle?
Peñaranda Castle was a very important place during the 900s. It was part of a strong line of defenses. This line separated the Christian Kingdom of Castile from the Moorish state of Al Andalus. The castle helped protect the Christian lands.
How the Castle Looks
The castle has a narrow area surrounded by strong walls. In the middle, there's a tall, four-story tower called a keep. The keep has a rooftop terrace where guards could look out. It also has battlements, which are the notched tops of walls where soldiers could hide and shoot. There's also a special gallery with openings called machicolations. These were used to drop things on enemies below.
The castle also has three more square towers. Two of these towers stand on either side of the main entrance. The entrance itself is an ogival arch, which is a pointed arch shape. The walls are made of solid ashlar stone, which means carefully cut and shaped stones. Inside the keep, you can see decorative wooden beams.
Who Owned the Castle?
For many years, the castle was controlled by the Kingdom of Castile. Later, it was owned by the Crown of Castile. In the 1400s, the Counts of Miranda del Castañar, from the House of Zúñiga, became important owners. They were the ones who rebuilt much of the castle.
Some of the important counts who lived there included:
- Diego López de Zúñiga y Guzmán (from 1457 to 1479)
- Pedro de Zúñiga y Avellaneda (from 1479 to 1492)
- Francisco de Zúñiga Avellaneda y Velasco (from 1492 to 1536)
- Juan de Zúñiga y Avellaneda
Today, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (Spain) owns the castle.
Visiting Peñaranda Castle Today
Today, Peñaranda Castle is one of the many interesting historical monuments in the area. It's a popular place for tourists to visit. You can go inside and explore the castle. There's a small fee to enter, usually between 1 and 2 euros. It's a great way to learn about history and see what a medieval castle was like!
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Peñaranda de Duero para niños
