A tour of the ancestral fortress of Sanabria (EN)

The Castle of Puebla de Sanabria, built in the last quarter of the 15th century by Don Rodrigo Alonso Pimentel, fourth Count of Benavente, combines defensive and palatial functions. With a square floor plan, its imposing keep, or "macho", with several floors and a cantilevered bridge, stands out. Inside it houses the Fortifications Center, which tells the history of the castle and the town. In the northern part of the enclosure is the Governor's House, today converted into a tourist museum of the surroundings. Its vaulted chambers and towers make it a medieval jewel.

The San Cayetano Chapel, attached to the main church, was built in the 18th century in memory of the founding patron saint, Don Lucas García Ossorio. This small baroque chapel stands out for its harmonious architecture and its richly ornamented facade, which stands out among the surrounding buildings. Although of modest dimensions, its elegance and symbolism make it a singular element of the religious and artistic heritage of the locality, preserving the devotional and aesthetic spirit of the rural baroque.

The historic center of this town, declared a Historic-Artistic Site, preserves the soul of a frontier fortress forged in multiple battles. Crossing the river, a steep street gives way to sober facades that reveal the ancient splendor of the place. Richly ornamented houses boast coats of arms, eaves supported by large carved modillions and beautiful glazed balconies. The latticework adds even more charm. A good part of the walls are still preserved, from which spectacular views of the region can be seen. It is an ensemble that evokes history, nobility and resistance.

The Church of Santa María del Azogue, located in the Plaza Mayor of Puebla de Sanabria, is a remarkable Romanesque temple of the twelfth century, transformed in later centuries. Its name alludes to its commercial location and to the god Mercury. It preserves two magnificent portals: the western one, with statues of biblical columns and capitals, and the southern one, more purely Romanesque. The Gothic interior houses a star-vaulted transept, a baptismal font from the 13th century and an organ from 1780. Under the floor, tombstones revealed in 1995 narrate centuries of silent history.