Logbook · 7 places

What to see and do in Torrelobatón

What to see and do in Torrelobatón (Montes Torozos, Valladolid): 7 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 2 Monuments · 1 Activities · 1 Curiosities · 2 Historical milestones

How far each place is from the centre of Torrelobatón

Castle of Torrelobatón 300 m

Towns near Torrelobatón

What to see in Torrecilla de la Torre 2.8 km · 2 places
What to see in Villasexmir 3.4 km · 3 places
What to see in San Pelayo 3.6 km · 2 places
What to see in Barruelo del Valle 4.7 km · 2 places
What to see in Castrodeza 5.4 km · 2 places
What to see in San Salvador 6 km · 2 places
What to see in Gallegos de Hornija 7.4 km · 2 places
What to see in Berceruelo 7.5 km · 2 places

Spain › Castile and León › Valladolid › Montes Torozos › Torrelobatón

What to see and do in Torrelobatón

Torrelobatón
Village
Torrelobatón is a town of the Montes Torozos district, in the province of Valladolid, bathed by the río Hornija and with about 385 inhabitants. Its origin possibly dates back to the Iron Age, and the Roman city of Amallóbriga was located within its municipal area. During the Revolt of the Comuneros of Castile, Juan de Padilla besieged its castle from 21 February 1521; the fortress surrendered four days later, and from here the comuneros set out towards Toro in the early hours of 23 April, before being defeated at the battle of Villalar. The castle today houses the Centro de Interpretación del Movimiento Comunero and served as the setting for the film El Cid, in which 350 residents acted as extras. In August it hosts a paloteo contest beside the wall.
Castle of Torrelobatón
Monument
The castle of Torrelobatón, also known as the castle of the Comuneros, stands on the Montes Torozos and is one of the best preserved in Castile and León; it was declared a Historic Heritage site in 1949. It was begun in the 13th century to watch over the Hornija valley and belonged to the Enríquez family, admirals of Castile, whose coats of arms adorn the keep; it was completed in the mid-15th century thanks to Gómez de Isla, who worked on Palencia cathedral, following the model of the Valladolid school. The keep is about forty metres high by twenty on each side, with five-metre-thick walls and a staircase of 143 steps. In February 1521 it was the scene of a victory by the comuneros after an eight-day siege, and the last place where they left their mark before being defeated at Villalar.
Torrelobatón in the filming of El Cid
Curiosity
The castle was the setting of the blockbuster El Cid, filmed in 1961 with Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren. Three hundred and fifty residents of the village worked as extras in the film, an episode still remembered in the town as its great moment of glory.
Interpretation Centre of the Comunero Movement
Monument
The castle has housed since 2007 a centre devoted to the War of the Communities of Castile, the revolt that had here one of its decisive settings. Access is free and from the keep the whole Hornija valley is commanded.
The 23 April medieval market
Activity
Every 23 April, the anniversary of the departure of the Comuneros towards Villalar, the village holds a medieval market with children's workshops, jota dancing and stick dances at the foot of the castle, the local way of commemorating the Comunero date.
The Comunero siege of Torrelobatón
Historical milestone
On 21 February 1521 the Comunero troops laid siege to the town. On the 25th they entered it and the castle, whose defenders had taken refuge in the keep, capitulated before the threat of executions. It was the last great Comunero success.
The departure towards Villalar
Historical milestone
At dawn, on 23 April 1521, the Comunero army left Torrelobatón on the way to Toro. It was intercepted at Villalar and defeated that same day by the troops of Carlos V; the following day its three captains were executed.