Castle La Mota

Medina del Campo, Castile and León, Spain

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Castle La Mota (Castillo de la Mota) is a striking medieval fortress in Medina del Campo, Castile and León, Spain, perched on a small mound (“mota”) overlooking the town and built primarily in the 15th century under Castilian kings John II and Henry IV, with major upgrades by the Catholic Monarchs (Isabella I and Ferdinand II) that made it one of Europe’s first artillery-adapted fortresses.

Its origins trace back to a 12th-century defensive structure guarding the frontier between Castile and León, but the current trapezoid-shaped castle features two massive walls—including an outer barbican with underground shooting galleries—and a 40-meter-high keep tower that offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

Throughout history, the castle served multiple roles: as a royal archive storing crown documents, an artillery stronghold, and a state prison for prominent figures like Cesare Borgia, Hernando Pizarro, and Princess Juana (“Juana la Loca”) who was confined there. Declared a National Monument in 1904, it underwent major restoration in the 1920s–1940s and now belongs to the Junta de Castilla y León, functioning both as a tourist attraction with guided tours of the keep tower and basements and as a venue for conferences, cultural courses, and seminars.

Visitors can explore the ground floor for free, while guided tours (available in winter and summer hours) reveal the castle’s fascinating history, including its role in the Comuneros revolt of 1520 and its later use as a training center for the Sección Femenina during Franco’s regime.