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The castle of Somaén

Arcos de Jalón, Tierra de Medinaceli, Soria

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The castle of Somaén

Monument · Arcos de Jalón, Tierra de Medinaceli, Soria

Somaén Castle stands in the hamlet of the same name, in Arcos de Jalón, on a hill at a bend in the río Jalón and separated by a moat, at a strategic point for controlling the passage between Medinaceli and Arcos. Bernardo de Bearn, first count of Medinaceli, had it built in the late 14th century, possibly on top of a Muslim watchtower, with two towers joined by a wall; one of them, now gone, collapsed in recent times. The surviving tower, pentagonal in plan and very elongated, resembles the keel of a ship in shape and is entered through a pointed arch. Completely in ruins, it was restored with materials from other historic buildings, such as the Palace of the Dukes of Pastrana, and even became part of a hotel; today it is for sale.

Photo: Cruccone (CC BY-SA 3.0 es)

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