Vigo: Vigo (Spain) Castle

Castle "O Castro", was built in the mid-seventeenth century as a defense of the city during the Portuguese Restoration War against a possible attack from land and sea powers involved in the conflict. It was conceived as a fortress starry irregular plant defenses with three campuses, of retaining the first part of the second and third.

The Castro Castle was built in the summit of Mount Castro, where long ago was located an old fort and in the Middle Ages, the castle of Penco do Compostelana Mitra.

The construction of the castle were made while the walls and the fort of San Sebastián. Were carried out in order to defend this important coastal enclave pirate attack and, above all, of the Portuguese with whom, after the outbreak of the war for independence from Portugal, Spain was at war.

According to Father Gandara in his book "Arms and triumphs of Galicia" walled enclosure works began in 1656 with the design of the then Captain General of Galicia Don Vicente Gonzaga. Military engineers Grunemberg Carlos and Fernando were in 1665 working on the fortifications of Vigo, especially in the Castro and were the proponents of a proposed link between the castles of San Sebastián Castro.But was Captain Juan de Villarroel and Prado who designed and directed the fortifications of Vigo since its inception.

In 1665 was built the first enclosure of the Castle of Castro, and in 1667 the second belt like a false panty.

In 1670 in the works of the Castillo del Castro, the first wall and the second (which was dirt) were completely finished, as seen in a plane at the time of the Earl of Haumanes (for a project I did for the union Castillo del Castro in San Sebastian in the same year).

In 1704 they added a third enclosure, two years after the Franco-Spanish army suffered an armed attack on Anglo-Dutch Rande.

On a National Historical Archive (titled "Castle Vigo plant called the Castro, as must be in the finished state"), 1705 Antonio Eugenio Velez Doffus D'avila castle you can see the completely finished. It consists of three rooms and a covered walkway leading to the stronghold of San Felipe (a pentagonal building surrounded by a fence located where now there is a playground at the entrance to the Castro for his side this).

In 1719 the castle held out for seven days a barrage of 34 mortar attack the English, who had landed 5,000 men in the Samil beach. The British got the negotiated surrender of the garrison and occupied and looted the castle taking all the war material.

The castle was repaired, since the fortification had been seriously damaged. Even so, and although in 1724 he built an infantry barracks for 250 soldiers, the fortifications were obsolete for running times. Although it continued to be used until March 28, 1964, the day it was sold to the City Council.

The City Council, far from preserving this heritage best historic city enabled the construction of illegal buildings and speculation on the lower walls also clog superiors.
Although the walls were collected as protected elements allowed the City Council in 1975 the construction of the building (building called Montemar), breaking the law in force at the time of construction.

Provided a private concession to businessman Alejandro Fernández Figueroa that besides having exploited the building as the restaurant El Castillo for three decades, was allowed the luxury of making illegal works as added several elements affecting protected.

Source of Information:

• blogspot.com/2008/02/el-castillo-del-castro.html "> Architecture and Urbanism of Vigo