Castro Caldelas Castle

Castro Caldelas Castle is a medieval fortress located in the town of Castro Caldelas, in the province of Ourense, Galicia, next to the historic center and on a strategic height that dominates the town and its surroundings. It is identified as the most emblematic monument of the town and is associated with the Counts of Lemos, within the stately defense of the Ribeira Sacra. The current construction dates from the 14th century, attributed to Don Pedro Fernández de Castro, although sources indicate that it may have occupied the site of an earlier building. Due to its chronology and function, it corresponds to medieval military architecture, without the sources consulted detailing a more precise stylistic ascription; in its current state it presents features of a stone fortress with tower, walled enclosure and defensive spaces. In the interior of the castle a palace of the XVI century is documented, in addition to later cultural uses. Since 1991 it was ceded to the council in usufruct and became home to the tourist office, municipal library, auditorium and an ethnographic museum, becoming a cultural focus for the region. The complex was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument by the general protection regulations of 1949 and the Spanish Historical Heritage Law of 1985. Its heritage value lies both in the medieval fortress and in the historical continuity of the enclosure, linked to the evolution of the town and the stately memory of Castro Caldelas.