Europe · Spain · Castile and León
Alcázar of Segovia
The story
History of Alcázar of Segovia
A prow of golden stone between two rivers, whose slate spires and turrets are said to have inspired Disney's castle designs.
Spain · Castile and León · Romanesque & Gothic
- Built
- 12th century
- Era
- Medieval
- Style
- Romanesque & Gothic
- Country
- Spain
- Region
- Castile and León
- UNESCO
- —
- Coordinates
- 40.953, -4.118
In depth
The fuller history
The Alcázar of Segovia, like many fortifications in Spain, started off as a Roman castrum, but apart from the foundations, little of the original structure remains. The alcázar was built by the Berber Almoravid dynasty. Almoravid art and architecture is scarcely talked about in scholarship in part because so little of the physical work has survived in Spain. Furthermore, the Almoravid dynasty was short-lived and therefore much of the art and architecture of that period was subsequently destroyed or converted by their successors.
In 1896, King Alfonso XIII ordered the Alcázar to be handed over to the Ministry of War as a military college. The Board of Trustees of the Alcázar of Segovia was created by the Decree of the Presidency of the Government, on 18 January 1951. The purpose of this was to ensure cultural, artistic, and historical preservation of the Alcázar's triple function as a royal castle, military precinct, and military academy.
Key dates
- 1120The first reference to this castle was in 1120, around 32 years after the city of Segovia was conquered by the Christians (during the Reconquista when King Alfonso VI reconquered lands to the south of the Duero river, down to…
- 1258In 1258, parts of the Alcázar had to be rebuilt by King Alfonso X after a cave-in and the Hall of Kings was built to house Parliament soon after.
- 1437In 1437, the books of the royal administration were moved to the Alcázar, establishing one of the first royal archives of Castile and laying one of the foundations for the current General Archive of Simancas.
- 1764At its opening in 1764, the military college stood as a symbol of the city's new age of progress in political and military education.
- 1839As demonstrated in the engravings by José María Avrial and Flores in 1839, the structures were restored to their previous appearances.
- 1862On 6 March 1862, another fire occurred at the castle, destroying the sumptuous ceilings of the private rooms that were reserved exclusively for the nobility.
Historical summary drawn from Wikipedia. Read the full article.
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