The Battle of Albuera almost resulted in defeat for the allied armies, but ended largely inconclusively with terrible losses on both sides. Albuera Battlefield is now an open space with few obvious signs of its history, but there is a memorial to the battle in the town of La Albuera.
Following October of 1810, the French Marshal Masséna was stuck in a hopeless stand-off with Wellington’s Allied forces. Napoleon ordered Marshal Soult in early 1811 to lead a French expedition from Andalusia to Extremadura to hopefully draw away the allies. However, Napoleon’s information was outdated and Soult’s move came too late as Masséna’s starving army withdrew to Spain from Portugal.
Soult did manage to capture the Badajoz fortress, strongly garrisoning the site on the Spanish-Portuguese border. After hearing of Masséna’s withdrawal from Portugal, Wellington sent a strong force to retake the border town and siege Badajoz. Soult amassed a new army from French forces in Andalusia and marched to Badajoz’s aid.
Unfortunately for Soult, the Spaniards had already combined with an Allied army of British and Portuguese troops – the French information was once again incorrect. His troops were outnumbered and out-planned as the opposing armies met at the Spanish village of Albuera.
During the conflict both sides suffered massive casualties but the French withdrew on the 18 May. The Allies were too battered to pursue them. Despite Soult’s failure to relieve the siege, the battle had little strategic gain for the allies who lated abandoned the siege as the French regrouped.
In 2001, the then Duke of Wellington unveiled a memorial to 3 of the Princess of Wales’ Royal Regiment predecessors who fought in Albuera, on the 190th anniversary of the battle. The monument was placed in the centre of a garden in La Albuera village.
Today, Albuera Battlefield is just that – a wide and open field set against the endless Spanish blue sky. Visitors can go on walking tours of Napoleonic Battlefields if you take the short drive from Badajoz to La Albuera village (about 15 miles). In La Albuera’s town square you will find the memorial to the casualties of the battle; a grand white stone arch topped with a marble crown and decorative columns.
You can follow the road where the French forces approached, crossing the river Albuera on a bridge that still remains. The ground before you is flat and featureless with no sign of the battle that raged.
From Badajoz, La Albuera and the battlefield is a half hour drive via the N-432. If using public transport, catch the L3 bus from Plaza La Libertad to the Autobus Station, then from Badajoz get the 0014 to La Albuera. This journey takes around 50 minutes.
]]>The Alcazaba Fortress of Merida also has characteristics typical of other civilisations, notably the Visigoths, indicating that it may have been constructed earlier.
This great fortress was built in the Muslim Mérida by Umayyad Emir Abd ar-Rahman II in 835 AD. In charge of laying it out was the architect Abd Allah. In building the fortress, inspiration was drawn from Byzantine models.The palace was built to serve as a headquarters for Umayyad administrative offices and as a residence for the local governor. Most importantly, it was used to filter access to the city from the Roman bridge, the shelter of the Arab minority during the repeated local revolts against Cordovan power, and the square where troops belonging to the Emir were stationed – either to quell the revolt of the meridíes Mozarabs or to carry out bullying raids in the Christian kingdoms of the North.
The entire perimeter of this extensive Alcazaba was surrounded by a large moat, except the side that overlooks the Guadiana River. The Albarrana towers, that is to say, those which stand separate from the main body of the fortress were constructed at a later date by the Order of Santiago.
Very little remains of the original interior within the ten-metre high walls of Alcazaba Fortress, though an original well has survived. The ruins of several Roman buildings can also be seen. Overall, this is considered to be an important site, not least because there are few remains from this era in the area.
The Alcazaba Fortress of Merida is grouped as part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida.
For those driving, Merida is a one hour drive from Cáceres via A-66. The train from Madrid takes 5 hours and while from Seville the train takes 3 hours.
]]>Visitors to the Alcazaba of Malaga can also see the remains of a ruined Roman theatre, whose materials are also said to have been used in building the palace fortress.
According to Arab historians, it was built between 1057 and 1063 at the instructions of Badis, King of the Berber Taifa of Granada. Transported material was used in its construction and columns, capitals and other materials were taken from the nearby Roman Theatre.
Between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries, Málaga and the Alcazaba remained under the rule of various Muslim dynasties: the Almoravid dynasty in 1092, the Almohad Caliphate in 1146 and the Nasrid dynasty in 1279. It was under the Nasrid Kingdom when the Alcazaba enjoyed its greatest splendour undergoing alterations that would convert it into an impenetrable fortress, whilst on the inside, it acquired the kind of delicate beauty that is seen in the architecture of the Alhambra of Granada. Finally, in 1340, the Nasrid King Yusuf I would build Gibralfaro Castle at the top of the hill.
In 1487 the Alcazaba encountered its first major siege which is was subjected to by Catholic military forces. For four months the Muslim army, formed of 15,000 men, resisted an army of 80,000 until finally surrendering.
The fortress was maintained in good conditions until the seventeenth century when two events contributed to its deterioration: the severe earthquake of 1680, and the damage caused by an attack by French ships in 1693 during the Nine Years’ War. From then the fortress was employed for various uses, including a prison, hospital and even homes located on the lower part, until the thirties when rehabilitation work began and the compound was declared Historical Heritage of Spain, now an Asset of Cultural Interest.
The building’s military components make it one of the most important Muslim works in Spain today.
It was restored several times and most recently in the 20th century, and today the building and its important archaeological legacy can be visited.
The compound, which spans 15,000 square metres and can now be visited by climbing up on foot or by taking the lift from Calle Guillén Sotelo in front of the City Hall building.
The Palace is structured around three courtyards, the first of which is the Los Surtidores courtyard, which has a central fountain and original arches from the Caliphate period. From the courtyard you can access Armadura Mudéjar Tower which has a wooden coffered ceiling from the sixteenth century and a detailed model of the Alcazaba, as well as Maldonado Tower, which offers beautiful panoramic views of Málaga. From here you will come to the outstanding Nasrid Palace and its beautiful Orange Tree Courtyard.
On the way down from the Alcazaba, visitors can stop to see the Roman Theatre that was discovered right at the foot of the fortress in 1951. Right next to it is a visitors’ centre that has information about the history of the theatre that was built in the 1st century AD and was plundered by the Moors centuries later to build the Alcazaba.
The Alcazaba is in the historic centre of Málaga and can be accessed on foot. There is also a lift which can be accessed on Calle Guillén Sotelo, in front of the City Hall building. Bus route 35 runs to Gibralfaro Castle from Paseo del Parque.
]]>Though it is believed that a fort has existed on the site since Roman times, the first known written mention of the Alcazar of Segovia is found in twelfth century Christian records. Having started life as an Arab fort, in the thirteenth century, the Alcazar of Segovia made the transition from military stronghold to palatial residence and was slowly renovated in a gothic style, with further changes made in the sixteenth century.
It served as a state prison for almost two centuries before King Charles III founded the Royal Artillery School in 1762. It functioned in this capacity before it was badly damaged by fire in 1862. In 1896, it was handed over to the Ministry of War as a military college. Today, it serves as a museum and military archives building.
The Alcazar of Segovia was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
The interior of the Alcazar of Segovia doesn’t disappoint, with highlights including the stunning keep, the square with four towers, the hall covered with pointed barrel and twin windows, and the richly-decorated Mudejar-style interior.
Visitors can tour the magnificent site as well as climb its towers for a scenic view of the town. The spectacular castle features as one of our top Tourist Attractions of Spain.
The Alcazar of Segovia is a 10 minute drive from the centre of Segovia along the Paseo Santo Domingo de Guzmán road. Equally, it is a scenic 30 minute walk via the Av. Padre Claret/CL-601a roads. There are a number of well-connected public transport routes such as the ‘9’ bus which stops at the Casa de La Moneda stop, from where the Alcazar is reachable in 10 minutes by foot.
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The oldest royal palace still in use in Europe was founded originally as a fort for the area’s Cordoban governors in 913 AD – on a site where a Roman fortress once stood. Two centuries later through Europe’s Dark Ages, the city’s Moorish Muslim leaders built Al-Muwarak (‘The Blessed’) and then in the centuries that followed, Moorish (12th-13th), Gothic (13th), Mujédar (14th) and Renaissance (15th-16th) architecture was added to form a visually magnificent yet architecturally eclectic palace.
The complex of palaces at Alcázar of Seville is widely regarded as the finest example of Mujédar architecture on the Iberian peninsula, with many influences from Moorish and Christian culture.
In 1364, ‘Peter the Cruel’ rebuilt the existing structures and established the palace as a royal residence.
Visitors can walk through rooms, halls, gates and piazzas including the Puerta del León (Lion Gate), the Patio de las Doncellas (Courtyard of the Maidens), Los Baños de Doña María de Padilla (the Baths of Lady Maria de Padilla) and La Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) as well as the equally impressive gardens. The highlight of which is the Galeria de Grutesco, a raised gallery with 16th century porticoes crafted from an old Muslim-era wall.
It was only a matter of time until the Game of Thrones location researchers came across Alcázar of Seville and it became the perfect setting for the Water Gardens palace in Dorne, the home of House Martell of Sunspear featured in season six.
Located in the centre of Seville by the Jardines de Murillo, the palace is best reached on foot. The nearest metro station is Puerta de Jerez.
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