Valencia de Don Juan Castle

As you hear the name of the early-medieval building in Spain, the first thing you would think is that this castle has something to do with the famous female seducer - Don Juan. This is not quite true. Rather, the truth is that this is the family of one of its owners, and indeed the town in which the castle is located. Valencia de Don Juan is a Spanish municipality located in the province of Leon within the region of Castilla.

Valencia de Don Juan is the emblem of the small Spanish town. This palace was built on the foundations of the original Arab fortress, built of mud. In the 15th century the castle appears to be located in the middle of a feud.

At the beginning and throughout the 12th century Valencia de Don Juan was known as one of the most powerful fortresses in the province of Leon. At that time the fort was called a Coyanza which continued until Alfonso VIII. The name Don Juan comes from his son, Alfonso X, which also named his tenure in the late 17th century.

Though built mainly in the 15th century, Valencia de Don Juan is an essentially Moorish architectural style. Nearby the River Esla passes, which once provided a protection from enemy attacks by either side of the castle.

Today the castle Valencia de Don Juan is surrounded by ruins despite repeated restorations over the past two centuries. So far they have managed to preserve four triple turrets located on the southwestern edge of the vast fort. The south tower is the main observatory, it is higher and more stable than the other three. This central tower is composed of six smaller and slender turrets that protrude from the wall of Valencia de Don Juan.

The entire castle was built of stone blocks. Today the castle operates as a museum, whose exposure is spread on three floors, which present the most important milestones in the history of the city and its fortress.