Castillo. Fortaleza de Castro Caldelas - Castro Caldelas, Ourense, Galicia, España - Castles on Waymarking.com

The most emblematic monument in the town. This Castle is located on a height at the foot of the old Roman road from where the entire town is dominated and a wide horizon is contemplated.

In the center of the town of Castro Caldelas we find its castle, which belonged to the Counts of Lemos to defend their domains. Although you can get to the surroundings by car, we can leave the car in the Plaza del Prado and walk up through the old town.

Although it seems that the castle occupies the place of a previous construction, the current one was built in the 14th century by D. Pedro Fernández de Castro. Like most of the Galician castles, in the middle of the XV century it was partially destroyed during the Irmandiña Revolt and rebuilt later.

It conserves a double wall. Its walls are very thick. The exterior has three attached towers. The inner wall is topped with battlements.

We access the castle through a door over which we can see the shields of the Counts of Lemos (on the right the Osorio wolves; on the left, at the top, the castle and rampant lion of the Enríquez, and on the lower the six roeles of the Castros). To the left of the door, you can see a reproduction of a catapult. As soon as we enter, we find the parade ground. At the back is the cistern (rainwater collection system for castle use) and next to it a potter's kiln. From here, you can go up to the walkway of the inner wall. At the end of the stairs, we see the Clock Tower, which is the oldest. It conserves the machinery that starts the clock. The Torre del Homenaje is defending the main gate. It was the symbol of stately power and the last stronghold in case of siege. From the terrace you can see a beautiful view of the Sil Valley.

In the 16th century it was transformed into a palace with a large hall. In its walls windows with parladoiros were opened and a great corridor was built.

During the War of Independence, neighbors, in retaliation against the French, set it on fire in 1809.

In the 18th century, the County of Lemos, passed by distant kinship to the House of Alba. The building was inhabited until the 19th century by Sol Stuart, a relative of the Dukes of Alba.

In 1991, it was ceded in usufruct to the Castro Caldelas town hall, becoming the cultural center of the entire region. Inside it houses the tourist office, the municipal library, an assembly hall and the ethnographic museum.

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Accessibility: Partial access Condition: Intact Admission Charge?: yes Website: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/01/2020 Ariberna visited it