Castillo del Duque stands on the left bank of the Tajo River in Malpica de Tajo, a Mudéjar-style fortress built atop a 10th-century Arab stronghold with documented origins from 1307. The square-plan castle features solid corner towers, a three-sided moat with counter-walls, and dramatic river views, later transformed in the 17th century into a palatial residence with ornate interior courtyards and galleries. Continuously inhabited and maintained by the Dukes of Arión, the castle represents an exceptional example of a lived-in medieval fortress, bridging military architecture with aristocratic residential design.
