Ponferrada Castle

Ponferrada, Spain, Spain

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Ponferrada Castle, known as the Castillo de los Templarios, is a prominent medieval fortress in Ponferrada, León province, Spain, renowned for its association with the Knights Templar.

Built starting in the late 12th century on earlier Roman and Visigothic foundations, it was commissioned by King Ferdinand II in 1178 and expanded by the Templars to protect pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago French Way, featuring an irregular polygonal layout with double and triple defensive walls, eight towers including the Torre de la Horca and Torre del Homenaje, a grand semi-circular gateway, and a central courtyard once surrounded by a moat.

After the Templars' dissolution in 1312, it passed to local nobles like the Castros and Counts of Lemos who added 14th-15th century structures, later serving as a barracks and prison until restored as a museum in the 20th century, now crown-owned and open to visitors.