Monuments of Military Architecture
They represent the most glorious remains of the region's historical past. Ubiquitous throughout the landscape, standing in singular locations, a long string of castles is scattered all over the region and one can say there is not one hillock, even today, without its impressive fortress which, way back, protected the manors of the kingdoms of Castile and León.
The castles are an expression of the greatness of the towns and the vitality of their people. They started to be built as defensive towers in the 8th century and continued to be erected until the 16th century, when they lost their original function.
The castles used to be fortresses, war machines with a clear strategic value, vantage points from where to watch, protect and defend villages from the constant attack of the enemies.
The medieval lords built them as a residence, and the fact that these impressive structures
, these symbols of power, still stand today is rather amazing.
The history of the villages and towns has been written in the battlements of these structures, whose centenary stones speak of a time when this region dominated the world.
Today there are almost 300 castles scattered all over the region, thus making Castilla y León the second castle region in the country in terms of number and the first in terms of the quality and state of preservation of the fortresses, since 16 of them are officially regarded as very important due to their antiquity.
