Mendoza Castle of Manzanares el Real

The new castle of Manzanares el Real, or Mendoza castle, is the image of the village: a 15th-century castle-palace of pale granite on the shore of the Santillana reservoir, with La Pedriza behind it. Tourism of the Community of Madrid says visits to the castle are temporarily suspended, with no reopening date published, so today it is enjoyed from outside.

Its history

The origin lies in the lordship of the Real de Manzanares, which the Crown created to settle the disputes between the councils of Segovia and Madrid over these lands. In 1445 John II granted Íñigo López de Mendoza the titles of Marquis of Santillana and Count of the Real de Manzanares. Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, first Duke of the Infantado, ordered the new castle built and commissioned the architect Juan Guas for the design.

The result mixes Gothic and Mudéjar elements and served as a precedent for the Infantado palace in Guadalajara. After centuries of neglect it was restored in 1914, under Vicente Lampérez, and in 1964, under Manuel González Valcárcel. It was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1931, and in 1982 it hosted the committee that drafted the Statute of Autonomy of the Community of Madrid and its signing; the Statute came into force in 1983.

What you see from outside

The core is a square of ashlar granite with three attached cylindrical towers and the square-plan keep. A lower barbican with a crenellated wall-walk surrounds it, and the entrance is defended with machicolations and turrets with arrow slits. Inside, which cannot now be seen, it has a residential courtyard with a double gallery of basket-arch arcades, instead of a parade ground, and collections of tapestries, paintings, armour and furniture.

Walk around it on foot; from the wall-walk, when it was open to visitors, you could see La Pedriza and the reservoir, and from outside you have the same pair in the background. It is a short, free walk, suitable for dogs on a lead and small children.

The old castle

Do not confuse it with the old castle of Manzanares, of which only ruins remain. It is on the way to La Pedriza and the Camorza gorge path passes it, leaving from the visitor centre and following the GR-10 to it before going up the river.

Getting there and what to combine

Manzanares el Real is on the M-608; from Madrid the 724 bus arrives from the Plaza de Castilla interchange, with several stops in the village. It combines well with a morning walk in La Pedriza and lunch at La Reunión, on the village square. Before going, check on the Community of Madrid tourism website whether visits to the interior have resumed.