Villafuerte Castle

Villafuerte Castle lies, in the village by the same name, in the province of Valladolid in Spain.

Located on a little hill that dominates the narrow valley of Esgueva river, Villafuerte Castle was build around 1470, near a village that was known as Vellosillo before but later adapted the name of the castle. It was built by a noble family; the Franco de Toledo. Their coat of arms and that of their consorts and descendants (Saravia, Mendoza, Osorio and Guzmán) can be seen above the entrance gate and the entrance to the keep.

Its layout is of the so-called "tower castle"; an almost square, small enclosure with round towers (with a 3-meter diameter) at 3 corners and the keep at the 4th, much like other castles such as Torrelobatón Castle. The keep, 12 by 10.5 meters, which has lost its crenelations, consists of 5 floors; 2 vaulted and 3 wooden ones. All the floors communicate by one narrow, spiral wall staircase. The entrance to the keep is through a doorway, on a height of 7 meters, which could be reached by another spiral staircase from the courtyard and a movable wooden footbridge.
In the courtyard there would have been buildings, some with basements, such as stables against the walls. In front of them would have been a portico with small columns.

Villafuerte Castle is a rare example in the province of Valladolid, of a 15th century castle which still preserves a large part of its outer enclosure of walls, towers and a small barbican despite the fact that the villagers used it as a quarry. The castle has been declared a National Monument as is presently owned by the Spanish Castle Friends Association.

This is a very nice castle and it can be visited. There is a small museum inside the keep and you get to climb onto the roof of the keep.

Also Encinas Castle is just a few kilometers east.

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