Anguix Castle

Anguix Castle, locally known as Castillo de Anguix, lies near the village of the same name in the south of the province of Guadalajara in Spain.

Anguix Castle lies on a 100-meter-high rocky outcrop on the bank of the river Tajo, giving splendid views of the surrounding countryside and the meandering course of the river. It probably started out as a primitive single keep in 1136 and was built by a Toledan knight Martin Ordonez on orders of King Alfonso VII, with the purpose of initiating the repopulation of the area.

The widow of this Martin Ordonez, Dona Sancha Martinez, gave the castle, in 1174, to the powerful Military Order of Calatrava. Centuries later, in the 14th century, Anguix Castle was property of the Castilian kings. King Alfonso XI donated the castle to a knight, Alfon Martinez. His son married to a member of the Carillo family which was a powerful and rebellious family in the region. During the 15th century, Anguix Castle was mostly inhabited by members of this family and from 1464 it served to King Enrique IV. In 1484 it was sold to Don Inigo Lopez de Mendoza, count of Tendilla, who was seeking to expand his territory around the Tajo river. From then on it was peacefully owned by his descendants until 1847 when it was sold to Don Justo Hernandez, member of a well-known family.

Anguix Castle got its present form in the 15th century but soon after fell into decay. It has a pentagonal shape based around the keep. It has ca. 6 meters high walls with remnants of round towers at the corners. Its main defense was aimed at the western walls because its eastern side was almost inaccessible due to the sheer drop of the cliff. Inside it has a small courtyard which has become very rocky due to several landslides. The ca. 12 meters high keep has rests of a spiral wall staircase and a cellar that seems to have been used as a cistern or pit prison.

The trip to Anguix Castle is really worth making, first about 2 km's over unpaved roads through farmlands, ending with a pretty steep walk. It's freely accessible.

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Anguix Castle

Anguix Castle, locally known as Castillo de Anguix, lies near the village of the same name in the south of the province of Guadalajara in Spain.

Anguix Castle lies on a 100-meter-high rocky outcrop on the bank of the river Tajo, giving splendid views of the surrounding countryside and the meandering course of the river. It probably started out as a primitive single keep in 1136 and was built by a Toledan knight Martin Ordonez on orders of King Alfonso VII, with the purpose of initiating the repopulation of the area.

The widow of this Martin Ordonez, Dona Sancha Martinez, gave the castle, in 1174, to the powerful Military Order of Calatrava. Centuries later, in the 14th century, Anguix Castle was property of the Castilian kings. King Alfonso XI donated the castle to a knight, Alfon Martinez. His son married to a member of the Carillo family which was a powerful and rebellious family in the region. During the 15th century, Anguix Castle was mostly inhabited by members of this family and from 1464 it served to King Enrique IV. In 1484 it was sold to Don Inigo Lopez de Mendoza, count of Tendilla, who was seeking to expand his territory around the Tajo river. From then on it was peacefully owned by his descendants until 1847 when it was sold to Don Justo Hernandez, member of a well-known family.

Anguix Castle got its present form in the 15th century but soon after fell into decay. It has a pentagonal shape based around the keep. It has ca. 6 meters high walls with remnants of round towers at the corners. Its main defense was aimed at the western walls because its eastern side was almost inaccessible due to the sheer drop of the cliff. Inside it has a small courtyard which has become very rocky due to several landslides. The ca. 12 meters high keep has rests of a spiral wall staircase and a cellar that seems to have been used as a cistern or pit prison.

The trip to Anguix Castle is really worth making, first about 2 km's over unpaved roads through farmlands, ending with a pretty steep walk. It's freely accessible.

Gallery

Details
Hits: 6734