Puebla de Sanabria Castle

The Castle of Puebla de Sanabria in Puebla de Sanabria, Spain, was developed and rebuilt by medieval Castilian nobility.

The town received a royal charter in 1220 from King Alfonso IX, a grant later confirmed by Alfonso X in 1273. Documentary mentions from the 14th century refer to a lower tower known as the Losada tower, and record that the illegitimate noble Enrique seized Puebla from Men Rodríguez de Sanabria and gave it to the Losada family.

In the mid-15th century Alonso Pimentel y Enríquez, third Count of Benavente, resolved to erect a new fortress on the site of an older stronghold. Building work continued into the 16th century and was finished by his son Rodrigo Alonso Pimentel. Other records state that the bulk of the surviving fortress dates to 1477–1482 under Rodrigo Alonso Pimentel, fourth Count of Benavente, and that the master builder Juan de Herrada took part in works on the principal keep.

The castle suffered military damage in later centuries. It was affected during the Restoration conflict between 1640 and 1668, and subsequent wars with Portugal in the 18th century further harmed the structure. Fighting with France in the 19th century left the fortress almost destroyed. During the War of Independence in 1808 French troops entered the castle on 29 July, defenders besieged them from 3 August, and the French capitulated on 10 August, surrendering personal arms, nine heavy guns and the eagle standard of a Swiss battalion.

After a period of abandonment in the 19th century the national government transferred ownership to the municipality by law signed on 28 July 1895 and published on 30 July 1895. The town then used parts of the fortification as a prison and for storing straw, and some spaces housed chickens. In 1991 the municipal library was installed inside the fortress and later rooms were adapted for an exhibition hall and an assembly hall. In 2006 the main keep, known as El Macho, became the Center of Fortifications through a project of the Foundation for Historical Heritage of Castile and León, and in 2007 the House of the Governor was prepared as the reception area for visitors. The regional government declared the castle a Cultural Interest Asset, category Monument, by agreement on 17 February 2022, published on 21 February 2022.