Vélez-Blanco Castle

Learn all about the Medieval Period in Vélez-Blanco.

In the Sierra María de Almería you'll find Vélez-Blanco, an unmistakable town. Before entering the town, please observe: you are in the heart of protected natural area. From here it is easy to see golden eagles and griffon vultures gliding over the mountains. And now. Within the town itself; well-kept streets, historic buildings and houses with grilled windows harbouring a wealth of ornaments. You can see that the inhabitants of Vélez-Blanco like to have their homes well-presented for visitors.

But what makes it so distinctive? Without doubt, the castle which crowns it, also known as the Castillo de los Fajardo. This impressive monument was built in the 16th century, between 1506 and 1515, commissioned by Pedro Fajardo y Chacón, the first Marquis of Los Vélez. The fortress was built over an old Moorish citadel. However, there were never any enemies against whom it had to defend itself. The unification of the peninsular had already been completed and there was no Moorish rebellion.

If you love of architecture, it would interest you to know that the castle was built in a blend of Gothic and Renaissance styles. From the outside it looks like a military fortress, hexagonal and raised over the rock itself. Inside, and this is why it is defined as a castle-palace, the interior patio and the noble salons are a display of the early Spanish Renaissance style, although the patio is irregularly shaped and you enter from the side, which is typical of Moorish buildings.

The castle has its own history of love and longing for power. The Marquis, having decided to strengthen his noble title, took as his second wife Doña Mencía de la Cueva, from the lineage of the Duques del Infantado. On the façade of the castle you'll see the alternating coats of arms of the two families.

Discover the castle's curious New York connection.

In the castle you can also visit the stately salons of Triumph and Mythology.However, to view the whole building you need to take a few steps forward. Several thousand in fact, because the rebuilt interior patio will be found in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, where it is one of its star exhibits. The pillaging began in 1903, when there were still no laws on historical heritage. The Duke of Medina Sidonia, the owner of the castle at that time, sold the patio stone by stone as well as the reliefs from the stately salons. The marble from the interior patio ended up being bought by the American multimillionaire G. Blumental so he could build his own palace. Even so, some fragments of the castle have been recovered, including most importantly the gargoyle given back by the Arias family.

The castle also has a Keep. It is about 25 metres high and was a symbol of the power that the Marquis had over his estate.

Enjoy the nature reserve and the exquisite traditional cuisine.

In Vélez-Blanco visitors will find bars serving traditional cuisine and tapas like El Palacil and El Molino. Traditional dishes include "migas" (breadcrumbs) and "gurullos" (typical pastries). Apart from the typical local cuisine, there are nine trails to forge your exploratory spirit and discover all the different areas in the Nature Reserve.

Don't forget your camera so you can take a few photos from the lookout points.