1.5 Euro Castle of Manzanares el Real

Reverse

On the outside part of the the reverse (common to all the coins), allegory of the structure of the castles.

Script: Latin

Lettering:
CASTILLOS DEL MUNDO
1,5 EURO
M

Translation: Castles of the World

Edge

Plain

Comment

Manzanares el Real Castle: On a gentle hill, raised over an old Mudéjar shrine (dedicated to Our lady of La Nava, retained as a chapel), at the foot of La Pedriza rock formation and next to the Santillana Reservoir, stands the Castle of Manzanares el Real, or more correctly Real de Manzanares, which was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument on 3 June 1931 and is the most iconic of the castles of the region of Madrid.
It was built at the end of the 15th century, a task largely attributed to the architect Juan Guas, as the archetype of the late Gothic style in Castile. It was built from materials salvaged from the old castle of Manzanares el Real, of which only traces remain, which was located on the other side of the Manzanares River, backing onto the cemetery of this town in the mountains of the Madrid region.
The history of the castle dates back to the 12th century, to the disputes between Madrid and Segovia over the possession of this territory, until King John I of Castile bestowed the land on Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, Admiral of Castile, in 1385 as a reward for his assistance in the battle of Aljubarrota against the Portuguese and English troops. It was the influential and powerful Mendoza family, specifically the son of Íñigo López de Mendoza, the illustrious 1st Marquis of Santillana, his grandfather’s namesake, who began the construction of the new castle of Manzanares el Real, using the remains of the earlier fortress.
Given the custom of the nobility to take up residence at the court, the castle was left unfinished, and with scarcely any historical events of importance taking place in the following centuries, the castle was gradually neglected and fell into a state of ruin, until 1914, when it was restored by the architect Vicente Lampérez, with a second refurbishment carried out in 1975–1977 by Juan Manuel González Valcárcel.
It is laid out with a complex rectangular floor plan around the central courtyard, flanked by cylindrical towers at the corners, with a polygonal keep and surrounded by a crenellated curtain wall with a wide parapet. There is no moat. The entrance to the bailey is through a Gothic-style arched gateway, defended by two small circular turrets. Despite being designed as a residence, it has all the typical defences of a medieval Gothic fortress.
Special features of this castle are the smaller circular turrets topping each of the corner towers. These are decorated with balls that were once painted according to the tastes prevalent during the reign of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. And the other architectural detail to point out is the famous gallery, or covered walkway, built on the south parapet and overlooking the reservoir, formed by Gothic-style double-trefoil windows between columns decorated with lozenges. This gallery was used by the ladies to embroider in the sun, to watch jousts and other tournaments, as well as to contemplate the beautiful scenery.
Although the castle is run by the government of the Community of Madrid and is used for cultural activities – with a library and meeting and function rooms – the castle is the property of the Duchy of Infantado, whose first duke was Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (1475–1479).

Interesting fact

Price

Date	Mintage	VG	F	VF	XF	AU	UNC
2023 M	5000	-	-	-	-	-	-

Values in the table are based on evaluations by sales realized on Internet platforms. They serve as an indication only for 1.5 Euro (Castle of Manzanares el Real) 2023 coin.