Palau Sacosta Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Palau Sacosta Castle |
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Palau Castell de Sacosta | |
Girona, Catalonia, Spain | |
Coordinates | 41°57′19.50″N 2°49′28.41″E / 41.9554167°N 2.8245583°E |
Type | Castle |
Site information | |
Open to the public |
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Site history | |
Built | 1495 |
Built by | Joan Sarriera |
The Palau Sacosta Castle (which in Catalan is called Palau Castell de Sacosta) is a cool old building. You can find it just southeast of Girona, a city in Catalonia, Spain. It's located in the nearby village of Palau-sacosta. This village used to be its own town until 1962. That's when it became part of the bigger city of Girona.
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History of Palau Sacosta Castle
The Palau Sacosta Castle was built a long time ago to protect the town of Palau-sacosta. It was like a strong fort for the people living there.
When Was the Castle Built?
Most of the castle was built in 1495. A person named Joan Sarriera was the one who had it constructed. But some parts of the castle are even older! One of its towers, for example, dates back to the 13th century. That means it's over 700 years old!
Ancient Discoveries Near the Castle
Near the castle grounds, people have found some really old things. They discovered Hebrew tombstones, which are gravestones from Jewish people. This shows that there was once a Jewish cemetery nearby. It makes sense because Girona used to have one of the biggest Jewish communities in Spain before 1492. Roman road markers have also been found close to the castle. These markers were used by the ancient Romans to show distances along their roads. This tells us that people have lived and traveled in this area for a very long time.
Architecture and Design
The Palau Sacosta Castle has a unique design. It's mostly square-shaped with an open area inside called a courtyard.
The Famous Towers
The castle is known for its two special towers. One tower is square, and the other is round. You can easily see both of them from the N-II motorway, which runs south of the castle. These towers are so famous that they gave the castle another name: 'les Torres de Palau'. In Catalan, this means 'the towers of Palau'.
Inside the Castle
The inside of the castle is quite simple but very well kept. It has ceilings with rounded arches, which are called vaulted arch ceilings. There are also stone passageways with arches that connect the different rooms. Everything inside the castle is in great condition, looking almost as it did centuries ago.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Palau-Sacosta para niños