Royal Alcázar of Segovia

The Alcázar of Segovia is a medieval castle located in the city of Segovia, in Castile and León, Spain. It has existed since at least the 12th century, and is one of the most renowned medieval castles globally and one of the most visited landmarks in Spain.

The fortress stands on a rocky crag at the western end of Segovia's Old City, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, above the confluence of the rivers Eresma and Clamores. Since its declaration as a National Archive by a Royal Decree in 1998, it has been used as a museum and a military archive. It has also been used as a state prison, a Royal Artillery College, and a military academy.

The Alcázar served both as a royal palace and a fortress for the Castilian monarchs. Its history begins in the 12th or early 13th century when the royal family of Castile had quarters in the Alcázar, known as the "major palace". In the Homage tower, the treasure of the Crown of Castile was stored, from which funds were secured to finance Christopher Columbus's first voyage. In 1437, the books of the royal administration were moved to the Alcázar, establishing one of the first royal archives of Castile and laying one of the foundations for the current General Archive of Simancas. Additionally, the Alcázar housed the royal armory, which served as the basis for the one now exhibited in the Royal Armoury of Madrid.

Text adapted from “Alcázar of Segovia” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Royal Alcázar of Segovia ranks #137 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #6 of the 600 mapped in Spain. Founded 1200, it is older than 77% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 544 atlas entries founded in the 12th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 25,778 times in the last 60 days, more than 98% of the atlas. 3 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Segovia, 1 km away. See how Spain compares in the castle statistics.

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