| Spain - the facts. Explore
the regions, towns and cities of Spain with idealspain.com |
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At one time more than 10,000 castles were recorded in
Spain. Today the list extends to around the 2,500 mark.
Their condition varies greatly but they all have one
thing in common; they are a standing symbol of the need
for protection during the time of war. Most of them will
still stand, long after you or I have gone.
Idealspain.com have explored many of them.
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Castle
Vocabulary &
Glossary of terms |
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you see this symbol, more information is available, within this site - click the
symbol |
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Castles
of Spain
Listed
by region. Either click the map or choose from the list below:Andalucia
Aragon
Asturias
Basque
Country
Catalonia
Cantabria
Castilla
& Leon
Castilla la Mancha
Extremadura
Galicia
Madrid
Murcia
Navarra
Rioja
Valencia
Balearic
Islands
Canary Islands |
| In
Spain, the development of castles was conditioned by the Reconquista when the
troops of Isabel and Ferdinand took Granada, the last Moorish strong-hold in Spain.
When the Arabs invaded Spain in 711, they drove the Christian forces north to
the mountains region of Asturias. In this frontier territory, the Spaniards built
so many castles that it came to be known as Castilla. As Christian kings and nobles
began to push southward again, they built additional castles, often on the tops
of hills (as with the Peñafiel in Segovia) to control the plains and protect
the cities below. Spanish castle architecture was influenced by Islamic designs,
and such features as decorative masonry and elaborate battlements give many Spanish
castles their characteristically eastern appearance.
Buy
a travellers guide to castles of Spain at a discount price |
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