Castle Alcázar of Segorbe

Former Alcazar palace

Castle Alcázar of Segorbe was an alcázar (palace or castle) located on the slopes of Sopeña in the town of Segorbe, in the Valencian Community of Spain. Very little remains of the original alcázar, but the large complex was a residence of lords, dukes and kings for over a millennium.^[1]

History

Arabs from the Baraní family of the Sinhala Confederacy built the first fortress.^{[citation needed]} After the Muslim king of Valencia, Zayd Abu Zayd, converted to Christianity and declared himself an ally and vassal of King James I of Aragon, he ceded the fortress to James in 1229 and became governor general of Valencia on his behalf. The castle became a sanctuary for Zayd Abu Zayd himself when he was killed by Dynamil Zayyan until James captured the castle in 1245, and placed Abu Zayd in command of an army to assist in the retaking of Valencia.^[2]

The castle had a peak in the 14th and 15th centuries, culminating in the holding of General Courts by King Martin of Aragon, who had made the city his residence.^{[citation needed]}

Among the most notable rulers of Segorbe are Doña Maria de Luna, Queen of Aragon, wife to King Martin (through whom the Segorban Alcázar became a royal residence), and the first Duke of Segorbe, Enrique de Aragón y Pimentel, who was responsible for several improvements to the castle. These included building new quarters, decorating the Our Lady of La Leche chapel with rich ornaments (which are currently in the cathedral museum), adding a hot tub and pool, and adding marble columns. Martín de Viciana noted that it was "very beautiful with many pieces and beautiful and good-styled rooms."^[2]

In 1784, urban expansion of Segorbe beyond the original medieval fortifications required further construction, and new walls were built. After the works were completed, the new walls had eight gates known as Teruel, Argén, Sopeña, Cárrica, Castellnovo, Valencia, la Maza, and Altura.

References

^ "Castillo-Alcázar de Segorbe" Military Historical Museum of Valencia Archived 2011-09-16 at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b "EL CERRO DE SOPEÑA". mural.uv.es. Retrieved 2018-02-22.

Spanish Royal sites

Royal sites of the
Patrimonio Nacional

Royal Palaces	Madrid El Escorial El Pardo (Zarzuela) Aranjuez La Granja de San Ildefonso Riofrío Alcázar of Seville: Upper Apartments La Almudaina
Monasteries	Convent of Las Descalzas Reales Convent of La Encarnación Convent of Santa Clara Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas
Other	Casita del Príncipe (El Escorial) Casita del Príncipe (El Pardo) Casita del Infante Pantheon of Illustrious Men Convent of San Pascual Convent of Santa Isabel Colegio de Doncellas Nobles