Castell de la Trinitat, Military fortress in Roses, Spain.
Castell de la Trinitat is a fortress located on Punta de la Poncella, a headland rising about 60 meters above sea level. The structure displays an irregular five-pointed star design with massive walls that in places reach 5 meters thick.
Emperor Charles V ordered the construction of this fortress, beginning on January 2, 1544, and completed by mid-1551. It was part of a wider coastal defense strategy against maritime threats of that era.
The chapel that gave the place its name was built in 1508 and then demolished to make room for the fortress. This link to the earlier religious site remains alive in local memory and shapes the history of this location.
The fortress is only accessible during designated hours, so it is worth checking current opening times before planning a visit. The location sits on a headland with access from the beach area, so sturdy footwear and care with the paths are recommended.
The five unequal points of the star shape were not purely aesthetic but an adaptation to the natural form of the rocky headland. This pragmatic solution shows how engineers tailored the architecture to fit the land rather than the reverse.
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