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Looming over the village of La Calahorra and the
plateau of the Marquesado in the northern foothills of the Sierra
Nevada is one of Andalucia's most emblematic and unusual fortresses,
the haunting Castillo de La Calahorra. One of the first Italian
Renaissance castles outside Italy and the first in Andalucia displaying
these architectural features, it was constructed between 1509 and
1512 on the site of a former Moorish fortification.
 Its towers resembling four huge, squat pepperpots,
it stands on a small knoll jutting up from the plain at the foot
of the towering sierra. Given its somewhat featureless but forbidding
exterior, the inside has some surprisingly lavish features including
a beautiful Renaissance colonnaded courtyard delicately crafted
from marble. The earth surrounding the castle has a characteristic
reddish colour due to the presence of iron ore within it.
The Catholic Monarchs awarded the castle as a tribute
to Cardinal Mendoza, their influential advisor who played an important
role in the Christian conquest of Granada. Cardinal Mendoza in turn
signed it over to his illegitimate son, the first Marquis of Zenete.
The Marquis subsequently travelled to Rome and befriended
many legendary figures of the Renaissance, including the Pope's
notorious daughter, Lucrezia Borgia, who he courted but failed to
marry. He returned to Spain, accompanied by a team of Italian architects,
sculptors and artists - and a cargo of Carrara marble to boot -
and set about designing and crafting his fortified palace.
But the Marquis was a tormented soul and plagued
by ill luck due to his illegitimate status. Despite the public recognition
by Cardinal Mendoza of his bastard son, the Marquis failed to gain
support of members of the court, who refused to let him marry a
young noblewoman. After abducting her to his distant retreat on
the plain of Guadix, he was
forced to leave his castle, Florentine courtyard and all, never
to return.
Visits
The castle can be visited on Wednesday 10am-1pm,
4pm-6pm.
If you want to stay in Lacalahorra, there
are several accommodation options.
Among these is the four-star Hospedería del
Zenete (Tel: 958 677 192) which has comfortably furnished rooms,
some with views of the castle.
The two-star Hostal Manjón is in the village
centre,Tel: 958 677 081.
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