Castle of Guevara-Gebara

The Castle of Guevara-Gebara occupies a strategic hilltop position in Barrundia Municipality, Álava, overlooking the Zadorra river valley. Built during the 15th century by the Ladrón de Guevara family, the fortress was designed following the model of Rome's Castel Sant'Angelo to control crucial routes between Álava and Guipúzcoa during the regional conflicts of the War of the Bands. The fortification features thick stone walls measuring one-and-a-half meters, arrow slits for defense, and vaulted galleries running beneath protective walls. Destroyed during the First Carlist War in 1839 using substantial quantities of gunpowder, the castle remains designated as a Bien de Interés Cultural and holds recognized heritage status with the Basque government as a testament to the region's medieval power struggles.