Fortress sights in Spain
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A
Arc de Sant Roc
The narrow streets to the east comprise the oldest part of Maó. The Arc de Sant Roc, a 16th-century archway at the top end of Carrer de Sant Roc, is the only remaining relic of the medieval walls that once surrounded the old city.
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Castell San Felipe
Across the Cala de Sant Esteve, Castell San Felipe, originally constructed in the 16th century, became, under British control, one of the largest fortresses in Europe. When Spain recovered the island, King Carlos III had the fort largely destroyed. However, its labyrinth of underground tunnels has remained more or less intact. Occasional guided visits are possible – call or check the website for latest times (usually once or twice a week). Night-time torchlit tours, complete with actors playing soldiers and the acrid whiff of gunpowder, take you into the bowels of this once-mighty fortress.
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Fortalesa de la Mola
In the 19th century Queen Isabel II ordered the construction of a new fortress. The extensive Fortalesa de la Mola, built between 1848 and 1875, sprawls over the promontory of the same name on the northern shore of the bay. It’s about a 12km drive from Maó. You will go rambling through galleries, gun emplacements and barracks. The only way here is by car, unless you want to call a water taxi.
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Alcazaba
A looming fortification with great curtain-like walls rising from the cliffs, the Alcazaba was built in the 10th century by Abd ar-Rahman III, the greatest caliphate of Al-Andalus, and was the most powerful Moorish fortress in Spain. It lacks the intricate decoration of Granada's Alhambra, but it is nonetheless a compelling monument; allow a couple of hours to see everything.
Passing through a grand horseshoe arch, the interior is divided into three distinct sections. The lowest area, the Primer Recinto, was the civic centre, with houses, baths and other necessities – now replaced by lush gardens and water channels. From the battlements you can see the Muralla de…
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Torre de Mangana
The Torre de Mangana, near Plaza Mangana, is the last remnant of a fortress that was built by Cuenca's Muslim rulers. It is all that remains of Cuenca's days as a Muslim town.
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Puerta Nueva de Bisagra
Large portions of the old city walls remain intact and, for many people, the first sight of old Toledo is the imposing turrets of the Puerta Nueva de Bisagra (1550), emblazoned with Carlos I's coat of arms.
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Alcazaba
What remains of the Alcazaba is chiefly its ramparts and several towers, the most important and tallest being the Torre de la Vela (Watch Tower), with a narrow staircase leading to the top terrace, which has splendid views. The cross and banners of the Reconquista were raised here in January 1492. One of the Alhambra's many dungeons is set in the ground just inside the Alcazaba's eastern walls.
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Alcazaba
This large Muslim fort was built in the 9th century on a site already occupied by the Romans and Visigoths. Down below, its pretty goldfish-populated aljibe (cistern) reuses Visigothic marble and stone slabs, while the ramparts look out over the Guadiana. When Mérida was conquered by the Christians in 1230, the knightly order of Santiago restored the fort, which had fallen into disrepair. The 15th-century monastery in its northeast corner now serves as regional goverment offices. Admission is part of the combined Roman sights ticket.
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Fort Marlborough
Great Britain occupied Menorca principally to gain possession of Maó’s deep natural harbour. It built Fort Marlborough to defend the sound and protect Castell San Filipe, which it had also overrun. Most of the fortress is excavated into the rock beside the charming emerald-green inlet, Cala de Sant Esteve (2.5km beyond Es Castell – known historically as Georgetown to the Brits). A short video sets the historical background to a walk through the tunnels, elivened by figurines, explosions and a well-produced recorded commentary (including an English version). From the central hillock there’s a fine view of Cala de Sant Esteve, the scant above-ground remains of Castell…
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City Wall
With its eight monumental gates and 88 towers, Ávila's muralla (wall) stretches for 2.5km is one of the world's best-preserved medieval defensive perimeters. Raised to a height of 12m between the 11th and 12th centuries, on the remains of earlier efforts by the Muslims and Romans, the wall has been much restored and modified, with various Gothic and Renaissance touches and even some Roman stones re-used in the construction.
The most impressive gates, the Puerta de San Vicente and Puerta del Alcázar, are flanked by towers more than 20m high and stand on either side of the catedral's apse.
Walking along the walls affords fabulous views out over the countryside and down…
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