Castillo de Viñuelas

The Castillo de Viñuelas is a fortified palace in the Soto de Viñuelas, north of Madrid, and is part of the Cuenca Alta del Manzanares Regional Park. The site's origins date back to 1285, when King Sancho IV gave the lands away as a gift. Most of the present-day structure, however, dates from the 1700s and 1800s. In the 19th century, the Duke of Infantado had a Gothic hall installed that came from the church of the Monastery of San Francisco in Cuéllar and is decorated with windows, ornamental gables, and coats of arms.

Architecturally, the building impresses with its square floor plan and three stories. Four cylindrical, crenellated towers rise at the corners and tower over the main building. The north-facing main facade is especially stately, with a central coat of arms and a continuous balcony on the second floor supported by columns. Among the most valuable interior rooms is the armory, considered a monumental highlight.

After the Spanish Civil War, the castle served as General Franco's temporary residence from 1939 to 1940, before he moved to the Palacio de El Pardo. Today the estate is privately owned and used for celebrations and conferences, which also led to structural alterations in the 20th century.