Modillions Review
Introduction
Belalcázar Castle is a medieval fortification located in the Spanish municipality of Belalcázar, in the province of Córdoba "Province of Córdoba (Spain)"). It is also known as Castle of Gahete or Castle of Gafiq, as these are the old place names used to refer to the town.
The fortress is a Gothic-military style construction, whose construction began in the second half of the century.[1] For many years it also served as the residence of the counts of Belalcázar, due to which in the 20th century extensions were made and a Renaissance palace was added. The complex stands on a small mound near the town of Belalcázar, being in a strategic location. With a height of 47 meters in its keep, in Renaissance style, it is the highest castle in the entire Iberian Peninsula.[2].
The monumental complex was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest "Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain)") in 1985.
History
Origins and construction
Belalcázar Castle is located in a characteristic mountain area to the north of the town, on an artificial promontory resulting from the settlement of numerous preceding cultures. In the same place on which the current castle stands there would have been a Roman fortress,[3] later continued in Muslim times. There is documentary evidence of the existence of a castle in this area in 1242, as recorded in a privilege of King Ferdinand III.[4] Within this enclosure, and at the highest point of the mound, during the second half of the century the "Bello Alcázar" was built, which would end up giving its name to the town. In 1444, the Castilian king Juan II had granted Gutierre de Sotomayor, master of the Order of Alcántara, the lands of what was then known as "Gahete".[5].
The construction of the castle was started with the aim of becoming the residence of the counts of Belalcázar. The fortress, made of excellent granite stonework, offers a quadrangular layout, with high and robust walls that appear marked by eight prismatic towers, each of the flanks and corners corresponding to the center. Both the wall sections and the towers are enriched in their crowning with a tight line of modillions that, obviously, embellish the image of the complex.
However, the surprising effect produced by the fortress is particularly due to the keep, located on the eastern wall with a height of 47 meters, it is the grandest of all. In its first two thirds it offers a cylindrical layout by rounding the corners, compensating for this difference through stepped elements with a pyramidal shape. This resource has been related to the one also used in the Clavero de Salamanca, a work of the time, built by the other Sotomayor. Examples of much earlier fortresses could have served as models for this feature, as can already be guessed in the keep of the Atalaya Castle. The definitive feature of this tall body are the cylindrical sentry boxes that, alternately long and short, are attached to the sides and corners. Its surfaces are used for gigantic Sotomayor shields with tracheated bands. This contributes greatly to the decoration of the tower, as do the shelves of the garitons, characteristics of the flamboyant Gothic.