The Castle of Gormaz (Spanish: ''Fortaleza de Gormaz'' or ''Castillo de Gormaz'') is a large castle located in
Gormaz,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. Its current structure was built in 965 to defend the borders of the
Caliphate of Cordoba
A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
. At the time of its construction, it was the largest fortress in Europe.
Location
The castle is located 13 kilometers south-east of
El Burgo de Osma
Burgo de Osma-Ciudad de Osma is the third-largest municipality in the province of Soria, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It has a population of about 5,250.
It is made up of two parts:
*the smaller Ciudad de Osma (city ...
, at
Gormaz, in the province of
Soria
Soria () is a municipality and a Spanish city, located on the Douro river in the east of the autonomous community of Castile and León and capital of the province of Soria. Its population is 38,881 (INE, 2017), 43.7% of the provincial population. ...
, in the
autonomous community
eu, autonomia erkidegoa
ca, comunitat autònoma
gl, comunidade autónoma
oc, comunautat autonòma
an, comunidat autonoma
ast, comunidá autónoma
, alt_name =
, map =
, category = Autonomous administra ...
of
Castile-Leon,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. It is situated north of the
Duero
The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part of ...
river, placed on a hill that rises 100 m above the river level.
Gormaz not only controls a contemporary bridge on the Duero, but it is in an area rich, in all directions, in watch-towers also of the middle of the 8th century AD and with some land-owners' towers such as the one that now serves as the belfry of the church of
Bordecorex.
The area is rich in relics from this period, near to
Sepúlveda and
Segovia
Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia.
Segovia is in the Inner Plateau (''Meseta central''), near the northern slopes of th ...
to the West,
Ágreda
Ágreda is a municipality located in the province of Soria, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain.
Ágreda is the regional services center in the Northeast of the province of Soria. Its abundant heritage as well as the local fi ...
to the East,
Berlanga de Duero
Berlanga de Duero is a municipality located in the province of Soria, in the autonomous region of Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2017 census (conducted by the INE), the municipality has a population of 902 inhabitants.
Geography
Berla ...
to the Southeast. This is probably one of the oldest standing ensembles of military architecture in Western Europe.
History
The site of the castle, or the surrounding area, was frequently contested between the Muslim-controlled
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus DIN 31635, translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label=Berber languages, Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, ...
to the south (ruled by the
Umayyad dynasty
Umayyad dynasty ( ar, بَنُو أُمَيَّةَ, Banū Umayya, Sons of Umayya) or Umayyads ( ar, الأمويون, al-Umawiyyūn) were the ruling family of the Caliphate between 661 and 750 and later of Al-Andalus between 756 and 1031. In the ...
) and the smaller
Christian kingdoms to the north during the 10th century. An existing fortification thus existed here before the current castle.
Christian chronicles mention that the site was reconquered by Muslim forces in 925 and 940, indicating that it changed hands multiple times between the forces on either side of the frontier.
The current castle was built or rebuilt in 965-66 by
Ghalib ibn Abd al-Rahman Ghālib ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Nāṣirī (c. 900 – 10 July 981), called al-Ṣiḳlabī, was a military commander in the ʿUmayyad caliphate of Córdoba, serving the caliphs ʿAbd al-Raḥmān III ''al-Nāṣir'', al-Ḥakam II and Hishām ...
, a general serving under Caliph
al-Hakam II
Al-Hakam II, also known as Abū al-ʿĀṣ al-Mustanṣir bi-Llāh al-Hakam b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān (; January 13, 915 – October 16, 976), was the Caliph of Córdoba. He was the second ''Umayyad'' Caliph of Córdoba in Al-Andalus, and son of Ab ...
at the time.
The earliest mentions of the fortress and this reconstruction in
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
chronicles were recorded by
al-Maqqari
Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Maqqarī al-Tilmisānī (or al-Maḳḳarī) (), (1577-1632) was an Algerian scholar, biographer and historian who is best known for his , a compendium of the history of Al-Andalus which provided a basis for the scholar ...
.
A foundation stone with an inscription mentioning this date and the caliph's name was also found in the nearby Hermitage of San Miguel de Gormaz (and kept today at the
Burgo de Osma Cathedral
The Cathedral of Burgo de Osma is a Roman Catholic church located in El Burgo de Osma, central Spain. It is in the Gothic architectural style, and was constructed on an area previously occupied by a Romanesque church. It is one of the best prese ...
) and is believed to come from the fortress, further supporting this construction date.
The fortress was the largest fortification built by the Caliphate of Cordoba in this region.
It probably acted as the key defensive point in what was an extensive network of fortifications that defended this part of the northern border of Al-Andalus.
According to
Roger Collins
Roger J. H. Collins (born September 2, 1949) is an English medievalist, currently an honorary fellow in history at the University of Edinburgh.
Collins studied at the University of Oxford ( Queen's and Saint Cross Colleges) under Peter Brown ...
it was also the largest castle in Europe at the time.
In 974-975, the fortress resisted a major siege by the combined forces of
Sancho of Navarre,
Garcia of Castile, and
Ramiro III of Leon (under the regency of his aunt
Elvira Ramírez
Elvira Ramírez (''c''. 935 – aft. 986) was a Leonese princess who served as regent of the kingdom between 962 and 975 during the minority of her nephew Ramiro III of León.
Childhood
Born about 935, she was the daughter of the King Ramiro II of ...
).
The castle was relieved by a force led by general Ghalib in the summer of 975, which then pursued Garcia's retreating forces into Castile.
The fortress may have nonetheless been captured by a Christian force sometime between 975 and 983, as Christian chronicles report that the Muslims recaptured it in 983.
There is textual evidence that the caliphs of Cordoba promised to hand over the fortress to
Sancho III in 1009 or in 1011 during the political upheaval of the
Fitna (civil war) of Al-Andalus, but it is unclear whether this surrender of the fortress actually took place.
Likewise, historical sources report that
Fernando I captured the fortress in 1059, perhaps permanently,
but the same sources also imply that this occupation was brief.
Some archeological evidence suggests that Muslims were still maintaining and repairing the castle in the 1060s.
By the end of the century, however, the Duero region, along with the major city of
Toledo to the south, had come under the definitive control of
Castile.
After its definitive Christian conquest, the castle was occupied by a variety of lords.
Alfonso VI
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...
gave the castle to
El Cid
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043 – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and warlord in medieval Spain. Fighting with both Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific ''al-sīd'', which would evolve into El ...
in 1087.
In the 14th century the castle was strategically important in the conflict between
Pedro I of Castile
Peter ( es, Pedro; 30 August 133423 March 1369), called the Cruel () or the Just (), was King of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. Peter was the last ruler of the main branch of the House of Ivrea. He was excommunicated by Pope Urban V for ...
and
Pedro IV of Aragon
Peter IV, ; an, Pero, ; es, Pedro, . In Catalan, he may also be nicknamed ''el del punyalet'': "he of the little dagger". (Catalan: ''Pere IV''; 5 September 1319 – 6 January 1387), called the Ceremonious (Catalan: ''el Cerimoniós''), w ...
, during which period it changed hands multiple times and underwent important restoration and repair work.
Archeological evidence shows that the main part of the castle was occupied by a small urban settlement during this period.
Sometime after the 14th-century conflicts, however, it was abandoned and fell into ruins.
Modern excavations of the site began in 1922 and have continued since, with major investigations in the late 20th century led by Juan Zozaya.
Design
The castle is built in
masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units, which are often laid in and bound together by mortar; the term ''masonry'' can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are bricks, building ...
stone. Its construction probably re-used available masonry from previous structures built on the site.
Its total perimeter is about one kilometer long and has an irregular shape adapted to the topology of the ridge it stands on.
The area occupied by the castle is roughly 380 meters long and varies in width between 17 and 63 meters.
The walls are about 10 meters high.
They are reinforced by 27 towers (or 24
) which project outward slightly from the rest of the wall.
The northern wall is built in large rough stone and has a more regular layout, running in a nearly straight line with 15 towers spaced at regular intervals.
The southern wall has a more irregular and curved outline but was built with a more sophisticated masonry technique of carved stone that enhanced its defensive structure.
Erosion and landslides over the centuries, however, have damaged the southern wall more severely than the northern walls of the castle. These eroding landslides occurred even in medieval times, as evidenced by the multiple repairs and reconstructions carried out on damaged parts of the wall.
The castle had at least two entrances which have been preserved today,
although some scholars have argued that there were other gates as well.
The main entrance is to the southwest overlooking a rocky outcrop of the hill, facing the river and the former Muslim side of the frontier.
A second gate, a smaller
postern
A postern is a secondary door or gate in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall. Posterns were often located in a concealed location which allowed the occupants to come and go inconspicuously. In the event of a siege, a postern ...
gate, is located in the northern wall and was accessed through a
vaulted
In architecture, a vault (French ''voûte'', from Italian ''volta'') is a self-supporting arched form, usually of stone or brick, serving to cover a space with a ceiling or roof. As in building an arch, a temporary support is needed while ring ...
corridor.
![Gormaz-puerta](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Gormaz-puerta.jpg)
The main gate consists of two monumental
horseshoe archways, located one behind the other at a distance of 1.26 meters.
The gate superficially appears as if it is set within one continuous wall but Antonio Almagro has noted that it actually occupies the space between two towers.
The short space between the two archways could be used by defenders to throw projectiles from above onto any attackers while still being sheltered from harassment by other attackers located outside the gate. The outer archway has span of 2.76 meters and is 7 meters tall from the ground to its keystone (although Almagro notes that the ground has receded due to erosion).
The surface of the outer wall around the arch was once covered in plaster or
stucco
Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...
decoration set inside an ''
alfiz The alfiz (, from Andalusi Arabic ''alḥíz'', from Standard Arabic ''alḥáyyiz'', meaning 'the container';Alf ...
'' (a decorative rectangular frame carved around the arch). Only fragments of the original decoration have been preserved.
The area immediately around the arch was likely painted with "false"
voussoirs
A voussoir () is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, which is used in building an arch or vault.
Although each unit in an arch or vault is a voussoir, two units are of distinct functional importance: the keystone and the springer. The ...
as part of this decoration, while the rectangular band of the ''alfiz'' may have been decorated with an
Arabic inscription or with
geometric motifs.
This overall decorative layout was typical of the caliphal period of Cordoba and is seen also in other monuments of the time like the
Great Mosque of Cordoba
Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements
* Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size
* Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent
People
* List of people known as "the Great"
*Artel Great (born ...
and
Madinat al-Zahra
Madinat al-Zahra or Medina Azahara ( ar, مدينة الزهراء, translit=Madīnat az-Zahrā, lit=the radiant city) was a fortified palace-city on the western outskirts of Córdoba in present-day Spain. Its remains are a major archaeological ...
.
The eastern end of the castle was occupied by a citadel with its own walls which are higher and more heavily fortified than the rest of the castle. This citadel may date from the 965 construction or it may date from modifications in later centuries, most likely during the 14th century.
It was accessed from the western part of the castle through a
bent-entrance gate inside a tower.
The eastern citadel probably served as a keep and a last line of defense while the larger western section served as a residential area, which was large enough to house an army.
Both the eastern citadel and the main western part of the castle contained a
cistern
A cistern (Middle English ', from Latin ', from ', "box", from Greek ', "basket") is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by t ...
that provided water.
Archeological investigations have revealed one location inside the castle which was covered with white mortar, which some archeologists have interpreted as the remains of a ''
musalla
A musalla ( ar-at, مصلى, muṣallá) is a space apart from a mosque, mainly used for prayer in Islam.''The Encyclopaedia of Islam''. New Edition. Brill, Leiden. Vol. 7, pg. 658; ''al-mausūʿa al-fiqhiyya.'' Kuwait 1998. Vol. 38, pg 29 Th ...
'' or open-air collective oratory.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gormaz Castle
Military history of Al-Andalus
Castles in Castile and León
Populated places established in the 8th century
Province of Soria
Moorish architecture in Spain
Architecture of the Caliphate of Córdoba