Mudejar Decoration, Great Hall, Peña Bermeja Castle m Prado de Santa Maria, Brihuega, Guadalajara, Castille La Mancha, Spain
The exterior of the castle overlooking the Tajuña River shows a beautiful ensemble of windows, which indicate its condition as an archbishop palace.
HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION
During the visit, it is highly recommended to see the castle’s outdoor views over the Tajuña River: the artistic open windows set within the walls, in Proto-Gothic and Romanesque style, speak to its palatial condition. Passing to the interior, one could find the clerical rooms, and prior to being an archbishop residency, it was the palace of King al-Mamun of thetaifa(kingdom) of Toledo. The military quarters were located below these rooms. The parade ground was used for a long time as a recreational garden, although currently it is a cemetery.
This castle has been used for different purposes throughout the passage of time. The first to come into its possession was King Alfonso VI, who was granted the castle as a gift from King al-Mamun of Toledo. The Christian monarch then handed it over to the archbishops of Toledo, who used it until the 16thcentury. Later, the castle would become a prison. During the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1715), it served to help Philip V’s troops conquer Brihuega. It also served as a fortress for the French military units who were able to withstand the raids led by Juan Martín Díez “El Empecinado”(“The Undaunted”) during Napoleon’s occupation of Spain in the early 1800s. Finally, it was also used as a stronghold in the Carlist wars.
Brihuega is a Spanish municipality and town in the province of Guadalajara, in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha. The municipal district, crossed by the Tajuña River, has 2,465 inhabitants (INE 2017)
The name of Brihuega derives from "briga" or "brioga", which means strong or walled place. The Celtiberians settled in this place (there are archaeological remains in the Tajuña valley) and the Romans, who called it Castrum Brioga, until medieval times when it appears under the name of Brioca. During this time it was an important Christian enclave conquered by Alfonso VI at the same time that he reconquered Guadalajara, Madrid, Talavera and Toledo in 1085.
At the beginning of the 12th century, Mr. Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada granted it Charter, and the construction of the most important religious monuments in Brihuega (churches of San Felipe, San Miguel, Sta María and the Gothic chapel of the castle) is due to him.
The Charter of 1215 allowed the arrival of all kinds of people to Brihuega, regardless of their religion, which boosted its economic wealth. The archbishops of Toledo granted numerous privileges to the Brihuega inhabitantsLater, in 1584, Philip II annexed the town to his heritage, and it was not until the 17th century that the archbishops recovered it as a lordship.
Brihuega played an important role in the arrival of the Bourbons to the throne of Spain (in the battle of Villaviciosa, victorious for Felipe V). This Royal House will achieve, through enlightened politics, an economic resurgence based on the wool industry and the creation of the Cloth Factory.
It will also have a historical role in the War of Independence and the Civil War.
Mudejar Decoration, Great Hall, Peña Bermeja Castle m Prado de Santa Maria, Brihuega, Guadalajara, Castille La Mancha, Spain
The exterior of the castle overlooking the Tajuña River shows a beautiful ensemble of windows, which indicate its condition as an archbishop palace.
HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION
During the visit, it is highly recommended to see the castle’s outdoor views over the Tajuña River: the artistic open windows set within the walls, in Proto-Gothic and Romanesque style, speak to its palatial condition. Passing to the interior, one could find the clerical rooms, and prior to being an archbishop residency, it was the palace of King al-Mamun of thetaifa(kingdom) of Toledo. The military quarters were located below these rooms. The parade ground was used for a long time as a recreational garden, although currently it is a cemetery.
This castle has been used for different purposes throughout the passage of time. The first to come into its possession was King Alfonso VI, who was granted the castle as a gift from King al-Mamun of Toledo. The Christian monarch then handed it over to the archbishops of Toledo, who used it until the 16thcentury. Later, the castle would become a prison. During the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1715), it served to help Philip V’s troops conquer Brihuega. It also served as a fortress for the French military units who were able to withstand the raids led by Juan Martín Díez “El Empecinado”(“The Undaunted”) during Napoleon’s occupation of Spain in the early 1800s. Finally, it was also used as a stronghold in the Carlist wars.
Brihuega is a Spanish municipality and town in the province of Guadalajara, in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha. The municipal district, crossed by the Tajuña River, has 2,465 inhabitants (INE 2017)
The name of Brihuega derives from "briga" or "brioga", which means strong or walled place. The Celtiberians settled in this place (there are archaeological remains in the Tajuña valley) and the Romans, who called it Castrum Brioga, until medieval times when it appears under the name of Brioca. During this time it was an important Christian enclave conquered by Alfonso VI at the same time that he reconquered Guadalajara, Madrid, Talavera and Toledo in 1085.
At the beginning of the 12th century, Mr. Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada granted it Charter, and the construction of the most important religious monuments in Brihuega (churches of San Felipe, San Miguel, Sta María and the Gothic chapel of the castle) is due to him.
The Charter of 1215 allowed the arrival of all kinds of people to Brihuega, regardless of their religion, which boosted its economic wealth. The archbishops of Toledo granted numerous privileges to the Brihuega inhabitantsLater, in 1584, Philip II annexed the town to his heritage, and it was not until the 17th century that the archbishops recovered it as a lordship.
Brihuega played an important role in the arrival of the Bourbons to the throne of Spain (in the battle of Villaviciosa, victorious for Felipe V). This Royal House will achieve, through enlightened politics, an economic resurgence based on the wool industry and the creation of the Cloth Factory.
It will also have a historical role in the War of Independence and the Civil War.