Castle of Jadraque
Encyclopedia
The Castle of Jadraque is a castle in the municipality of Jadraque
, Castile-La Mancha
, Spain. It sits on a hill commanding the plain of the Henares
river. It is sometimes called "Castle of Cid" as it is mentioned in the poem Cantar del Mio Cid.
Built in ashlar
stone, it has a rectangular shape with a perimeter of 240 metres. It has four round and one rectangular tower
Archaeological investigations proved that the site was used since prehistoric times; later it was a fortification of the emirate of Spain and its Moorish descendants. In 1085 it was conquered by the Christians under Alfonso VI of Castile
. In 1469 it was bought by cardinal Pedro González de Mendoza
.
The current structure dates to the late 15th century, and is attributable to Juan Guas
. The only element remaining from the pre-existing castle was a pentagonal tower, which was anyway dismantled later. The castle, used by the Mendoza as a noble residence, was abandoned after the death of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar y Mendoza. It was used again as a fortress during the War of Spanish Succession and the Peninsular War
.
40°55′9"N 2°55′59.76"W
Jadraque
Jadraque is a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain.It is home to a large medieval castle....
, Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha is an autonomous community of Spain. Castile-La Mancha is bordered by Castile and León, Madrid, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia, and Extremadura. It is one of the most sparsely populated of Spain's autonomous communities...
, Spain. It sits on a hill commanding the plain of the Henares
Henares
The Henares is a river in Spain, tributary of the Jarama. It has its source in the Sierra Ministra, in the village of Horna, near Sigüenza, in the province of Guadalajara....
river. It is sometimes called "Castle of Cid" as it is mentioned in the poem Cantar del Mio Cid.
Built in ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
stone, it has a rectangular shape with a perimeter of 240 metres. It has four round and one rectangular tower
Archaeological investigations proved that the site was used since prehistoric times; later it was a fortification of the emirate of Spain and its Moorish descendants. In 1085 it was conquered by the Christians under Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI , nicknamed the Brave or the Valiant, was King of León from 1065, King of Castile and de facto King of Galicia from 1072, and self-proclaimed "Emperor of all Spain". After the conquest of Toledo he was also self-proclaimed victoriosissimo rege in Toleto, et in Hispania et Gallecia...
. In 1469 it was bought by cardinal Pedro González de Mendoza
Pedro González de Mendoza
Pedro González de Mendoza was a Spanish cardinal and statesman.-Biography:He was born at Guadalajara in New Castile, the chief lordship of his family. He was the fourth son of Íñigo López de Mendoza, marqués de Santillana, deceased 1458, and one of the cadet brothers of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, 1...
.
The current structure dates to the late 15th century, and is attributable to Juan Guas
Juan Guas
Juan Guas was a French artist and architect. He worked in a group of architects to create the Isabelline Gothic style. Born in Saint-Pol-de-Léon, he moved to Spain when he was young, and is often thought to have been Spanish...
. The only element remaining from the pre-existing castle was a pentagonal tower, which was anyway dismantled later. The castle, used by the Mendoza as a noble residence, was abandoned after the death of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar y Mendoza. It was used again as a fortress during the War of Spanish Succession and the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
.
External links
40°55′9"N 2°55′59.76"W