Castle of La Adrada, Medieval castle in La Adrada, Spain
The Castle of La Adrada is a late medieval fortress perched on a hilltop in La Adrada, Spain, surrounded by double defensive walls. Inside the enclosure, the structure features Gothic architectural elements and a church with three naves and a brick-vaulted apse.
The fortress was built in the late 14th century by Ruy López Dávalos, after he received the town as a gift from King Henry III of Castile. Ownership later passed to Álvaro de Luna, one of the most powerful figures at the Castilian court in the 15th century.
The castle now houses an interpretation center dedicated to the Tiétar Valley, where regional finds are displayed in the old rooms. Walking through the space gives visitors a concrete sense of how life in this area changed over the centuries.
The site sits on a hilltop, so sturdy footwear is a good idea for the walk up. A guided tour helps make sense of the different areas of the fortress, including the towers and underground passages.
The Gothic church inside the fortress was built into the later fortifications rather than demolished, so its apse and lateral walls survive beneath the military structure. This means two separate buildings from the same century can be explored one on top of the other.
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