Torre del Caracol or Castillo de la Mota, Benavente, Medieval castle tower in Benavente, Spain
The Torre del Caracol, also known as Castillo de la Mota, is a medieval stone tower in Benavente, now integrated into the Parador Nacional hotel. It has a square base with cylindrical corner towers and forms the oldest surviving part of what was once a much larger palace complex.
The tower was the heart of a grand palace built by the Pimentel family, the counts of Benavente, one of the most powerful noble houses in medieval Castile. French troops destroyed most of the complex during the Peninsular War, leaving only this tower standing.
The coffered ceiling in the main hall was brought from the San Román del Valle Monastery and shows the woodwork style of mudéjar craftsmen. It remains in place today and is one of the most visible signs of how medieval Spanish nobility decorated their most important rooms.
The tower is now part of the Parador Nacional hotel and is not freely open to the general public. The easiest way to see the interior is to stay at the hotel or contact the staff in advance to ask about a visit.
Two large paintings inside show courtly scenes from the time of Fernando II, including the granting of the town charter in 1164. They make visible a moment when Benavente was recognized as a center of royal authority in the region.
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