Alba de Tormes Castle

The magnificent Tower Keep, also called Armoury Tower, is an important part of the profile of Alba de Tormes. It is also the most remarkable element in the interesting route through the villa.

It has an unknown origin. At the beginning it was said that it was built as a watchtower and defensive tower. Later on, in the 15th century, Don Garcia Alvarez de Toledo, I Duchess OF Alba, started to change it

The castle becomes, with the help of the benefactor Duchess of Alba, Don Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, a palace fortress which hosted the Renaissance court. It had six marble-decorated towers decorated, and wall paintings, such as the ones in the Tower Keep, some frescos which show landscapes of the battle of Mühlberg; these frescos were painted by Cristobal Riesco and Miguel Ruiz de Carvajal.

After this splendor period, the castle was the witness of many ups and down, fights and disputes, especially during the Independence War, which reduced its primitive size significantly.

Nowadays, and after several changes, we can visit the main Tower, which houses the above mentioned paintings, the Interpretation Hall and an exhibition about the Alba lineage. Higher above, there is an outer enclosed balcony, from where we can have a magnificent view of the area.

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