Countries<Spain<Castilla y León<Segovia< Alcázar de Segovia

Alcázar de Segovia(Segovia)

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Description

The Alcázar of Segovia is a stone fortress that is located at the junction of the Clamores and Esrema rivers near the Guadarrama Mountains in the old city of Segovia in Spain. It is built on top of a granite rock mainly. This location was a strategic military point mainly because like that the force could control the different accesses there were. The term Alcázar means "palace" or "royal residence" in Arabic. The name of the castle contains an Arabic word because it was part of the lands that were under the influence of the Arabs. In 1120, the castle was recaptured by Emperor Alfonso VI. The Alcázar was subsequently modified from a wooden Arab fort to a stone fortress. A few years later, in 1176, the castle changed from a strategic military point to a royal residence for King Alfonso VII and his wife Eleanor of England. In the years that followed, many changes were made to better suit the lifestyle of the royalty. The interior of the castle gradually changed to take on a more gothic feel, particularly under the reign of Henry IV and John II. The last modifications to the Alcázar were made in 1587 by the architect Francisco de Morar. He completed the construction of the royal garden and added the Escuelo de Honor and the cone shapes that can be seen on the roof of the castle. During the 19ᵉ century, the Alcázar regained a military function as the home of the Royal Artillery School. Unfortunately, in 1862 a fire damaged the roof of the building. It took 20 years afterwards to complete all the repairs and return the castle to its original form. It was also in 1882 that it was handed over to the Ministry of War as a military college. In 1953, the Alcázar Trust of Segovia was entrusted with ensuring that the fortress is only used for military studies as well as it is open to the public. With its rich history, the Alcázar has not only hosted many personalities, but has also inspired many people. In popular culture, it was drawn in the manga Berserk and was notably the first fortress that was shown. It also inspired Walt Disney for the castle in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It also served as the house of Sir Lancelot du LAC in the 1967 musical film Camelot.

Image of Alcázar de Segovia