Historic-Artistic Monument in 1949. And defensive military architecture.
Situated on the summit of Vila Peak, this is the most emblematic monument in the town. It was constructed by the nobleman Pedro Fernández de Castro, between 1336 and 1343. Nearby, numerous battles were fought to gain power over the regions' lands. Starting in the 16th century it lost some of its character as a defensive fortress to become a residence for the high nobility.
Shaped in an irregular polygon, the structure of the castle is perfectly adapted to the terrain on which it stands. From the original construction the walls, three towers, the administrator's house and the arms courtyard still remain, not so, however, the moat that would have originally surrounded the complex.
Its walls display numerous coats of arms which indicate the castle's ownership at different times. On the main door we can see the family coats of arms of the Osorio (two wolves), the Castro (six circular forms), the Kingdom of León (a rampant lion) and the Kingdom of Castile (a castle, which also corresponds to the Enríquez lineage). From here we can see the clock tower to the right. It bears an inscription of the Greek letter "tau", a symbol associated with the Order of the Temple, which may have participated in some significant episode of this castle's history.
Most interesting are its well or water tank, a wooden corridor in the courtyard, and the Camino de Ronda (Sentry Walk) on the inner part of the walls. In the interior of the castle there are a series of objects on display (coins, fragments of pottery, darts, etc.) that were found during the restoration and reform work, a process that has still not been completed. We can also see some distaffs, looms for weaving linen, sharpening wheels, as well as farming implements and carpentry tools.
Hours: From 10.00 to 14.00 h. and from 16.00 to 20.00 h.