It was a observation post for the Roman Empire and then a fortress of Arab origin in the 15th century, and when it passed into the hands of the Kingdom of Castile it also became the temporary residence of Queen Isabella the Catholic. Its last use was as a barracks for the Civil Guard until the end of the twentieth century, and for this reason its conversion into the National Museum of the Armed Institute was considered. Later it was thought that it could become a Museum of Democratic Memory.
The majestic Maqueda Castle, in the town of Toledo of the same name also called Castelo de la Vela, will finally have nothing to do with all this, as the city’s socialist mayor, Andres Congosto, confirmed to elDiario.es Castilla-La Mancha. After successive auctions conducted by the Ministry of the Interior, its owner, over a period of twelve years, the last of which resulted in its sale for 3.2 million euros. The castle, which has been declared an artistic historical monument, will be a four-star country hotel.
The company that bought it is the América de Construcciones y Turismo (Amcotur) hotel group, based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and will transform it into a four-star facility. The business group owns several establishments in the Canary Islands and the Peninsula. In fact, it has a hotel and restaurant, Señorío de Olmillos, in the town of the same name in the province of Burgos, which is also an old castle.
The project to transform Maqueda Castle into a Museum of Democratic Memory was presented by the City Council and the Manuel Azaña Association to the Secretary of State for Democratic Memory, Fernando Martínez López, At a meeting held in Moncloa in August 2023. The mayor then confirmed that the idea was well received by the Interior Ministry. Since all auctions have been abandoned, Interior Minister Fernando Grande Marlaska promised two years ago to restore it as a national heritage and not auction it again. It wasn’t like that.
Your fate now will be completely different. Once the central government abandoned the idea of moving the Civil Guard Museum there, despite investing more than 9 million euros, the Department of Infrastructure and Equipment for State Security (GIESE) decided He has auctioned them off on various occasionsfirst for 9.7 million, then reducing it successively until reaching the figure of 3.2 million euros for which it was sold.
The selling price is less than what was invested
The mayor then indicated that the aim was to be able to take the matter to the Council of Castilla-La Mancha or the City Council itself to develop the Democratic Memory Project and that everything was “a matter of political will”. Now, Congosto is unaware that such a huge investment has been made and is being sold for almost three times less than its cost. He points out that “the issue will be political.”
“We do not like that the castle will be completely abandoned and that in the end it will be sold and will not become a museum. We are a little disappointed, but at least it was not bought by a private owner and it will be a country hotel. This will give life to the city, boost tourism and employment opportunities,” said the mayor. The Ministry of Interior has not yet contacted the City Council, awaiting the signing of the sale contract before a notary public.
According to its technical paper, the property is distributed over a basement and three floors, with a building area of 3,523.8 square metres. Its security is still responsible for the Civil Guard. Visitors who come there can only see the outer part of its walls, which are 3.5 meters wide. “From the inside they know nothing,” explains the mayor. “A few years ago they opened it and showed that it was complete from the inside with the museum facilities complete.”
The castle dates back to at least the 10th century. Captured by King Alfonso VI, it passed into the hands of Alfonso Láñez in 1153, until it was transferred to the Order of Calatrava in 1157. In the 15th century, it was almost completely rebuilt, respecting only the tower of the Palazuelos in which Queen Isabella the Catholic was said to have resided.
The plan of the castle is rectangular, occupying two different levels of land. Its walls are made of masonry and stones in the openings and corners with few openings in them. It is protected by moats on two sides and three circular towers at the southern corners and in the center of the eastern panel. Later, another tower was added.
One of the most prominent features of the defensive system of this castle is the arrangement of the walls in pairs. Above the stone parapet, with gaps visible in places, rise double merlons made of masonry and brick, topped with pyramids.
The interior barely preserves the original construction
The main door faces north, and consists of a large semicircular arch, surmounted by a delicate alvez, made of pearl decoration and supported by two borders of floral decoration, in the center of which is the coat of arms of the Cárdenas and Enríquez, authors of the reconstruction of the castle. This entrance is protected by good stone and brickwork, with round and cruciform loopholes.
The interior barely preserves the original construction. The towers retain their brick floors, vaults and spiral staircases. But the old rooms, which had completely collapsed, were rebuilt to house the offices of the local Civil Guard barracks, opening openings in their eastern wing, and narrowing the central courtyard with outbuildings.
Inside the castle there is an important archaeological site that includes the remains of the various civilizations that passed through the settlement. Now it remains to be seen how its new owners integrate this great cultural heritage with its future tourism use.
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