Castillo de Ampudia

Ampudia, Spain, Spain

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Castillo de Ampudia is a well-preserved 15th-century Gothic fortress in the village of Ampudia, Palencia province, Spain, originally constructed in the 13th century and extensively rebuilt between 1461-1488 by García López de Ayala atop earlier ruins.

Its trapezoidal plan features four square corner towers including a prominent Tower of Homage, a surrounding barbican with cylindrical defense towers, a drawbridge over a moat, machicolations, and a symmetrical main facade adorned with the Duke of Lerma's escutcheon.

Owned by noble families like Herrera, Ayala, and Rojas, it witnessed events such as the 1521 Battle of Ampudia during the Comunero Revolt and hosted French royal hostages in 1528, before restoration in the 1960s turned it into a museum displaying arms, antiques, and art within its elegant porticated Gothic courtyard.