And again, this is a great story in the family and I need it to bring it to more attention with of course older new pictures to the blog. We came here 3 times (see posts) and always great family time which you can read, it has brought a lot of memorable moments to share with my family and friends. Let me tell you again on the Castillo de Belmonte, interiors, part II !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
This is the Castle or Castillo de Belmonte! In Belmonte, Province of Cuenca, autonomous region of Castilla La Mancha, Kingdom of Spain. We came here by car straight from Cuenca on the road N 420. It is one of the best castles combining the history of my beloved France and Spain! Plenty of free parking at the castle grounds.
This is a must if visiting Spain, me think, The Belmonte Castle, impressive to say the least. It has been preserved as it was constructed and kept by the family for generations. It was built by 1468 on orders of Don Juan Pacheco, first Marquis of Villena who was involved in many conflicts in the war of succession in Spain. The castle went thru periods of abandoned for several centuries and it was finally, Eugenia de Guzman, heir to the house of Villena and better known as the Imperatrice of the French Eugenia de Montijo (wife of Napoleon III) who ordered the renovation which began in 1857!
The Salon de Gobierno or Government Hall deserves special mention, which represents the true solemn and stately framework of noble power; It has a rectangular shape with a surface area of around 150 m2, covered by a structure built with pine wood using the pair and knuckle technique. In the same way, the exuberance and ornamental richness appear in some pieces and elements of its interior architecture, such as fireplace fronts or the sills of some windows.
In the rooms of the west gallery is where the representative and official rooms are located, with which the power and authority of the Marquisate of Villena was shown, such as the Government and Ambassadors rooms. It is in the north wing of this floor, separated from the rest of the castle dependencies, where the private rooms or apartments of the marquises are located. These rooms on the main floor are decorated in the 19C style.
The parade ground offers a great contrast between the original constructions, made with stone masonry such as the keep and the 15C walls, with the two wings or residential galleries that at their junction form an acute angle that were built during the third quarter of the 19C commissioned by Eugenio de Montijo, whose neo-Gothic-Mudejar facades show us a reddish color due to the type of material used, brick.
The Armory of the Castle in a room of the Tribute tower with armor of the time and replicas that are used for scheduled events in the castle.
The official castle of Belmonte : http://castillodebelmonte.com/en/
The Belmonte tourist office on things to see: https://www.turismobelmonte.es/visita-guiada/
The city of Belmonte on the castle: https://descubriendo.es/belmonte/lugares-y-monumentos.html?dbd=75-castillo-de-belmonte
The Castilla La Mancha regional tourist office on the castle of Belmonte in English: http://en.www.turismocastillalamancha.es/patrimonio/castillo-de-belmonte-20864/descripcion/
We drove a bit on the town, very old and quant and of course, can’t forget the castle and the windmills looking out, it reminds me of Don Quijote !!! And of course, the history of two countries dear to us, France and Spain, nice. Again, hope you enjoy the Castillo de Belmonte,interiors, part II as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 