Castle of Sajazarra, Fortified palace in Sajazarra, La Rioja, Spain

The Castle of Sajazarra is a 15th-century sandstone fortress built by the Velasco family on what was once a smaller fortification. Its rectangular form includes seven circular towers and a central residential tower with octagonal corner towers, with interior spaces originally divided across four levels.

The fortress was built in the 15th century when Sajazarra became a lordship under the Velasco family, replacing an earlier defensive structure. It held strategic importance in the medieval period for controlling trade routes connecting nearby towns and settlements in the region.

The castle gave Sajazarra its name, documented as Sajaçarra, and the village grew around it as a fortified lordship of the Velasco family. The parish church of Santa María de la Asunción stands beside the castle, so the noble residence and the religious centre share the same elevated core of the village.

The castle sits on a hill in the village center and is easily reached on foot from the main area. Visitors can explore the exterior surroundings, though access to the interior may be limited or subject to specific arrangements or restrictions.

The fortress was built over the remains of an earlier fortification and possibly a former church; buried tombs in a nearby square hint at continuous human presence across centuries. These hidden layers make it a window into multiple periods of history simultaneously.