Clan Rising
Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez today

Spain · Restored

Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez

Castillo de los Marqueses de los Vélez

Castillo de Vélez-Blanco is an early-16th-century Spanish Renaissance castle-palace in Vélez-Blanco, Almería, built 1506–1515 on the foundations of a Moorish fortress. Its most notable original interior feature was a carved marble Renaissance patio, while externally it presents high crenellated curtain walls and a prominent keep (Torre del Homenaje). Parts of the interior decoration were removed in the 19th–20th centuries and key elements are now in museums.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1506

Its prime

1515

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1515

What Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez looked like in its prime.

Perched on a rocky hill above the town, the castle presents tall, warm-beige masonry curtain walls topped by regular crenellations and decorative merlons. A massive square keep (Torre del Homenaje) rises above the complex, with round-arched openings and narrow slit windows; smaller round and rectangular towers punctuate the walls. A recessed two-level arcaded gallery opens from one facade; windows range from small slits to larger arched openings. Terraced stone retaining walls and sparse trees cover the slope below.

Its story

The story of Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez.

The Castillo de Vélez-Blanco was built between 1506 and 1515 by Pedro Fajardo y Chacón, created first Marquis of Los Vélez by the Catholic Monarchs after the Granada War. Raised on the foundations of a Moorish fortress above the town of Vélez-Blanco in Almería, it is a remarkable example of the Spanish Renaissance castle-palace, presenting high crenellated curtain walls and a prominent keep, the Torre del Homenaje.

Its glory was the interior: a carved marble Renaissance patio and Spanish artesonado ceilings. In the early 20th century the owners sold these valuables, mainly to French antique dealers. The marble patio and ceilings have been held by the Metropolitan Museum of New York since 1945, bequeathed by the banker George Blumenthal; in 2019 the Spanish National Research Council traced one of the ceilings to the Instituto Cultural Helénico in Mexico City, now owned by the country of Mexico.

Step inside

7 places to explore in 1515.

The record describes 7 distinct spots at Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez, including 4 interiors: torre del homenaje, upper chamber and stair (interior), renaissance marble patio (principal courtyard), arcaded gallery / loggia on the facade and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Exterior approach from the townTorre del Homenaje (keep), exteriorTorre del Homenaje, upper chamber and stair (interior)Renaissance marble patio (principal courtyard)Arcaded gallery / loggia on the facadeCistern and basement spacesCurtain walls and battlement walkway

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Whose castle

Clans who held Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez.

The families that held Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Fajardo

    Built 1506–1515 by Pedro Fajardo y Chacón, first Marquis of Los Vélez.

Questions about Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez

What is the history of Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez?

Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez was built in the early 16th century as a Spanish Renaissance castle-palace for Pedro Fajardo y Chacón, first Marquis of Los Vélez. It rose on the foundations of a Moorish fortress above Vélez-Blanco after the Granada War. The Fajardo family lived there during the 16th century and into the late 17th century.

What is inside Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez?

Inside Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez are the Torre del Homenaje, its upper chamber and stair, the principal courtyard, an arcaded gallery and loggia, and cistern and basement spaces. The original courtyard had carved white Macael marble, decorated arches, capitals, windows and doors. Much of this decoration was removed, and the marble patio and Spanish ceilings are held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why was Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez built, and what was it used for?

Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez was built as a fortified exterior enclosing a palatial residence. Pedro Fajardo y Chacón intended it to make Vélez-Blanco the centre of his Almerian possessions and the castle the seat of a small seigneurial court. Its military and palatial areas were connected by a drawbridge, now a fixed access walkway.

Where is Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez?

Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez is in Vélez-Blanco, in Almería, Andalusia. It stands on a hill overlooking the town, in the municipality of Vélez-Blanco. The castle is located in the town of Vélez-Blanco, province of Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia.

When was Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez built?

Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez was built between 1506 and 1515. Work began in 1506 on the remains of an earlier Moorish fortress, and construction finished in 1515. The first phase was Gothic before the design moved towards the early Renaissance.

Which family or clan held Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez?

The Fajardo family held Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez. Pedro Fajardo y Chacón built it between 1506 and 1515 after becoming the first Marquis of Los Vélez. The family resided there during the 16th century and until the end of the following century, when its direct line of succession ended.

What did Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez look like in its prime?

In its prime, Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez had tall, warm-beige masonry curtain walls with regular crenellations and decorative merlons. A massive square Torre del Homenaje dominated the complex, with round-arched openings and narrow slit windows. Smaller towers, a recessed two-level arcaded gallery, terraced retaining walls and sparse trees completed the hilltop setting.

Is Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez still standing, or is it a ruin?

Castle of the Marquises of the Vélez is still standing and has been restored. Restoration took place in stages during the second half of the 20th century, including work on the tower floors, and the courtyard and adjoining spaces were restored between 1994 and 1998. Some original interior valuables, including the marble patio and ceilings, were removed and are now elsewhere.

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