CASTLES MANZANARES EL REAL

Castle Manzanares el Real, also called Castle of los Mendoza, is a 15th-century palace-fortress constructed in granite by powerful admiral Diego Hurtado de Mendoza beginning in 1475, completed by his son. Located in the Community of Madrid near the Santillana reservoir at the foot of Sierra de Guadarrama, this quadrangular structure features four circular towers and masterfully blends Gothic and early Renaissance architecture. Declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1931 and recognized as one of Madrid's best-preserved castles, it now houses a museum dedicated to Spanish castles and displays important tapestry collections.

Castillo Viejo de Manzanares el Real, popularly called Plaza de Armas, is situated on the outskirts of Manzanares el Real in Madrid, on the edge of the Manzanares River beneath the southern slopes of La Pedriza in the Sierra de Guadarrama. Though its foundation date is unknown, it predates the famous Castillo Nuevo built in 1475. On October 14, 1383, King Juan I of Castile granted the fortress to the House of Mendoza, establishing the señorío of Real de Manzanares. Built in Mudéjar style with granite stone and brick banding, the castle featured a square plan with cylindrical towers at three corners and a larger keep. The old fortress declined when the Mendoza family constructed their new palatial castle nearby, leaving only two walls standing within a planted enclosure.