Province: Segovia
Municipality: Cuellar
Community: Castile and León
Typology: Castle

Location:
The Cuellar Castle is located in the so called citadel, in the highest part of Cuellar, Segovia province, closing right here the place with the walled facility of the village.

History:
The primitive castle of Cuellar was misappropriated by Henry the Fourth, to his stepsister Elizabeth, to whom her father, John II bequeathed in his will. Henry the Fourth then gave to its favourite Don Beltrán de la Cueva, first Duke of Albuquerque that began the construction of a new and sumptuous palace-castle that would be finished with a renaissance style by his successors in the 16th Century.

This castle was really a defensive stronghold which went through different alterations until the 18th Century. Until this time, the palace-castle showed valuable paintings with a great pedigree from famous signatures, tapestries and decorated rooms with great luxury, golden and silver dishes, weapons from all styles. It is said the castle used to have the richest and most varied weaponry of the country. All this and even more was plundered during the War of Independence.

Many were the events taking place here inside the castle’s wall, such as the feasts organized by Don Juan II to honour the Infants of Aragón, perhaps the tragedy of Doña Juana de Castro, the anguishes of Doña María de Molina, the cries of war of the knights of the Count of Treviño (Don Pedro de Manrique) during the time of Henry the Fourth, etc.
 
It was a general headquarter for Lord Wellington and a safe heaven for General Victor Hugo during the war of independence. It was in this period when the castle went through the dispossessions and pillage from Napoleon’s soldiers.

In the 20th Century, the castle was turned into a teaching centre.

Description:
Its story is rectangular and it is surrounded by three cylindrical towers located in each of the vertexes and a square one in the remaining southwest side.

In the upper side of the south façade, a wide renaissance gallery can be seen supported by huge corbels, invading the place with its graceful construction and avoiding the monotony of the wall. There is a balcony under this gallery and a great window giving light to the dining room and to the great reception saloon.

In the lower part of the quadrangular tower there is an elevated brick arch, under which one of the three doors giving access to the fortress, opened and that seemed to be part of the ruins of a previous building over which the present castle was built. Therefore, the visitor can easily appreciate how the whole lower part belongs to a primitive construction in which uncut stones appear together with the bricks, according with the technique used in previous facilities and over which the present castle was built in 1464 with an almost Gothic style as a whole.

State of Conservancy:
It is in a good condition since it was fully restored. It holds the Duke of Albuquerque Institute for Junior High teaching and the House’s Archive of the Dukes of Albuquerque. It is also used for tourist purposes.

Ownership and use:
The castle is owned by the Dukes of Albuquerque, but its use has been assigned to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports. Theatrical performances are also made here.

Visits:
With a restricted access and guided visit should be asked for, with a 2 hour term previously requested in order to enjoy the play with actors interpreting historical characters that have lived within the castle. The facility is open on Saturdays, Sundays and festive days during the whole year and it is open everyday during the Summer. Further information; please call the Office of Tourism at the phone: 921 142 203.

Heritage:
The castle has been declared an Artistic – Historical Monument since June the 3rd, 1931. The place is under the Generic Declaration issued in April 22, 1949 and the Law 16/1985 about the Spanish Historical Heritage.