Castle of Villaviciosa de Odón facts for kids
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The Castle of Villaviciosa de Odón is an old castle located in the town of Villaviciosa de Odón, close to Madrid, Spain. You can find it on Madrid Avenue.
The first building on this spot was built in the 1400s by the Counts of Chinchón. In 1496, a nobleman named Andrés Cabrera and his wife, Beatriz Fernández de Bobadilla, built the first proper castle here.
However, in 1521, during a big uprising called the Revolt of the Comuneros, some captains named Diego de Heredia and Antonio de Mesa destroyed the castle.
Rebuilding the Castle
In 1583, a new Count of Chinchón, Diego Fernández de Cabrera y Bobadilla, decided to rebuild it. He hired a famous royal architect named Juan de Herrera. Herrera made one of the castle's towers look different from the others, giving it a unique, uneven shape.
About 200 years later, in 1738, King Philip V of Spain bought the land and gave the castle to his son, Infante Luis. Infante Luis then asked another famous architect, Ventura Rodríguez, to fix up the castle. It was at this time that the town got its current name, Villaviciosa de Odón.
On August 17, 1758, King Ferdinand VI of Spain moved into the castle after his wife passed away. He died there the next year.
In 1797, María Teresa de Borbón, who was the Countess of Chinchón and had her portrait painted by the famous artist Goya, married the prime minister, Manuel Godoy. In 1808, Godoy was removed from his job and was even held prisoner in this very castle.
Forestry School
Spain's very first school for studying forests and trees, called the Escuela de Especial de Ingenieros de Montes, was started at the castle in the 1840s. This school taught people how to manage forests. In 1870, the forestry school moved to El Escorial, and later it became part of the Technical University of Madrid.
Military School and Today
After the forestry school left, the Castle of Villaviciosa de Odón became a military school. During the Spanish Civil War, which happened in Spain many years ago, the castle was taken over and used by both sides of the conflict.
Today, the castle belongs to the Spanish government. It is now home to the official archives of the Spanish Air Force, keeping important historical documents safe.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Villaviciosa de Odón para niños
