Alaquás Castle and its medieval graffiti
The Alaquás Castle-Palace stands as a living witness of Valencian Renaissance: built in 1582 by order of Don Luis Pardo de la Casta, first Count of Alaquás, it combines the defensive solidity of a fortress with the elegance of a noble palace. After centuries of private use and abandonment, the City Council expropriated it in 2003 and, following a careful restoration completed in 2007, it now welcomes the public.
Renaissance and Mudéjar Architecture
- Keep Tower of square plan, with original machicolations and arrow slits.
- Porticoed galleries featuring alabaster capitals and corbels.
- Mudéjar elements in plasterwork and coffered ceilings, adding ornamental richness.
Ambassadors’ Hall and Noble Rooms
- Ambassadors’ Hall with polychrome ceiling and twin windows overlooking the garden.
- Admiral’s Chamber, an intimate room with heraldic frescoes and fantastical fauna.
- Private chapel with Baroque altarpiece and original 17th-century pews.
Restoration and Cultural Use
After expropriation, archaeological and architectural work recovered walls, balconies, and roofs, respecting every historic layer. Today the castle hosts:
- Guided tours through its rooms and towers.
- Cultural events like intimate concerts and theater in its inner courtyard.
- Temporary exhibitions on local heritage and contemporary art.
Graffiti Through the Centuries
During restoration, surprising inscriptions and drawings emerged under layers of paint:
- The oldest, dated 1541, bears names and dates alongside a small coat-of-arms.
- Elegant verses from a tercet of Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso, finely incised.
- Over 30 stylized ships—testimonies of maritime routes—and knives alluding to noble prisons.
- Religious imagery (crucifixes, hearts) and anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures revealing daily life memories.
Today, the Alaquás Castle-Palace is not just stone and brick, but a palimpsest of stories: fortress, noble residence, refuge of beliefs, and now an open space for those seeking to feel the past alive in every wall.
How to get there
Decimal: 39.457778°, -0.456667°
DMS: 39°27'28" N, 0°27'24" O
