Castle Cornago

Castle Cornago rises imposingly on a hilltop overlooking the town of Cornago in La Rioja, its dramatic silhouette visible from kilometers away. Possibly originating as a Muslim fortress in the 11th century, the current structure was rebuilt and enlarged during the 14th-15th centuries as a quadrangular construction with ashlar masonry walls and towers at each corner. Three cylindrical towers and one square tower, arranged around a central courtyard, showcase medieval military architecture. The castle belonged to the powerful House of Luna, whose members included Pedro Martinez de Luna, known as Pope Benedict XIII, and Álvaro de Luna, Constable of Castile. Officially declared a monument in 1949, Cornago Castle remains a striking example of medieval fortification.