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Alcázar of Segovia

The Alcázar of Segovia is a medieval castle located in the city of Segovia, in Castile and León, Spain. It has existed since at least the 12th century, and is one of the most renowned medieval castles globally and one of the most visited landmarks in Spain.

History
The Alcázar of Segovia, like many fortifications in Spain, started off as a Roman castrum, but apart from the foundations, little of the original structure remains. The alcázar was built by the Berber Almoravid dynasty. Almoravid art and architecture is scarcely talked about in scholarship in part because so little of the physical work has survived in Spain. Furthermore, the Almoravid dynasty was short-lived and therefore much of the art and architecture of that period was subsequently destroyed or converted by their successors. The first reference to this castle was in 1120, around 32 years after the city of Segovia was conquered by the Christians (during the Reconquista when King Alfonso VI reconquered lands to the south of the Duero river, down to Toledo and beyond). It was during this period that most of the current building was constructed by the House of Trastámara. In 1474, the Alcázar played a major role in the rise of Queen Isabella I. On 12 December news of King Henry IV's death in Madrid reached Segovia and Isabella immediately took refuge within the walls of the Alcázar where she received the support of Andres Cabrera and Segovia's council. She was enthroned the next day as Queen of Castile and León. The next major renovation at the Alcázar was conducted by King Philip II after his marriage to Anna of Austria. He added the sharp slate spires to reflect the castles of central Europe. In 1587, architect Francisco de Mora completed the main garden and the School of Honor areas of the castle. During his visit to Spain known as the "Spanish match", Prince Charles of England visited the Alcázar in 1623, after dining at Valsain. He was entertained by Luis Jerónimo de Cabrera, 4th Count of Chinchón, who was then keeper of the Alcázar. Prince Charles was shown the Galley Room or "second great hall" with the heraldry of Catherine of Lancaster. In the evening there was a torchlit masque involving 32 mounted knights. Prince Charles gave the Count of Chinchón a jewel and rewarded the poet Don Juan de Torres for his verses. He left early in the morning for Santa María la Real de Nieva. The restoration of the Royal College of Artillery was among the many reforms conducted under the reign of King Charles III of Spain (r. 1759–1788). He appointed Count Félix Gazzola as the director of the artillery corps, who made the executive decision to install the academy in the Segovian fortress in the Alcázar. At its opening in 1764, the military college stood as a symbol of the city's new age of progress in political and military education. of the Alcázar of Segovia ( c. 1842) by José María Avrial y Flores In 1896, King Alfonso XIII ordered the Alcázar to be handed over to the Ministry of War as a military college. The Board of Trustees of the Alcázar of Segovia was created by the Decree of the Presidency of the Government, on 18 January 1951. The purpose of this was to ensure cultural, artistic, and historical preservation of the Alcázar's triple function as a royal castle, military precinct, and military academy. == Description ==
Description
The exterior of the castle has a Herrerian style courtyard, moat, drawbridge, and keep. The interior rooms include a chapel and several noble rooms (cuartos del Trono, de la Galera, de las Piñas, de los Reyes and others) that can be visited today. The castle sits on a hill overlooking the city, with four towers, and several halls that are constructed with barrel vaults and twin windows. In the interior, the halls and rooms were decorated with great luxury and beauty by Mudéjar painters and artists. Hall of the Old Palace Its construction corresponds to the reign of Alfonso VIII of Castile. In it the twinned windows that gave light to the palace are conserved, since the wall in which they were was the exterior wall of the old palace. The Mudéjar-style socles located between the windows come from a 13th-century house in the nearby Las Canonjías district. The decoration was completed with a set of German-style armor from the 15th century. Hall of the Fireplace Corresponds to the ordination of the fortress in the time of Philip II of Spain. The furniture is from the 16th century. On the walls you can see a portrait of Philip II and another of Philip III, a 16th century Flemish tapestry with the subject of Our Lady's betrothal and a curious representation where you can contemplate the appearance of the Alcázar before the reform of the roofs and where you can also see the Former Cathedral of Segovia that was located in the current square of the Alcázar. Throne Room (Salón del Solio) The walls of the Throne Room mostly consist of portraits of various kings, which are part of the collection of kings commissioned by Queen Isabella II of Spain. Both portraits are signed by their respective artists: the portrait of Isabella I of Castile is signed by Madrazo, while the portrait of Ferdinand II of Aragon is signed by Montañés. Royal Chamber In its walls you can see scenes of the family life of the Catholic Monarchs. The bed has a brocade cover woven in gold. Hall of the Kings (Sala de los Reyes) King Alfonso X (r. 1252–1284) commissioned the construction of the Hall of the Kings. Other scholars, however, have argued that due to the presence of small coats of arms below the figures and at the two ends of the image, the scene likely represents the ruler, in this case, Muhammad V of Granada (r. 1354–1359), accompanied by a group of wise men, various teachers and literary figures, is a meeting known as a maŷlis. Due to its historical significance and architectural accomplishments, the castle hosted numerous events. One of the most famous events at the Alcázar was the wedding of Philip II of Spain with his niece, Anna of Austria in 1570, which took place in the castle's chapel. Museum of the Royal College of Artillery (Museo del Real Colegio de Artillería) The Royal College of Artillery was divided into two parts: the academy and as a meeting place for the military and cadets in training. To attend the school, applicants were exclusively chosen from the noble estate or related to army captains and artillery corps. The allure of the school consisted of not only its scientific and military accomplishments, but in its integration of teachings of Christian ideals. ==In popular culture==
In popular culture
• The Alcázar was used by Orson Welles in the 1965 film Chimes at Midnight. • Depicted as Koka's castle, it is the first shown fortress in the manga Berserk. • The Alcázar was used as the setting for Brobdingnag, the land of the giants, in the 1960 film The 3 Worlds of Gulliver. • The castle also served as the French home of Sir Lancelot du Lac, Joyous Gard, in the film Camelot. • The castle's silhouette and overall appearance inspired the castle in Disney's 1937 animated classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. • Sylvain Castle, a dungeon in the 1995 action RPG Terranigma, is based on it. • The castle is used as the setting for Ghealdan in The Wheel of Time. ==References==
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