La Mota Castle

This is one of the largest towers in Castile. It was used as fortress, and was at one time a strategic military centre.

The castle has a trapezoid floor plan. The fixed bridge at the main entrance was once a drawbridge. Once across the bridge, there is an arch with two turrets and the royal coat of arms of the Catholic Monarchs. The interior has four towers with a courtyard, around which the different parts of the building are arranged. It was used as the Royal Archive during the reign of Henry IV. Given its enormous dimensions, it was also put to military use as an arsenal for artillery, and was one of the objectives of the Royalists in the uprising of the communards in the 16th century. It served as a prison for personages of note during the 16th and 17th centuries, and at one time played host to Juana la Loca. In 1942, after the Spanish Civil War, it became a training school.