Velez-Blanco Castle

Velez-Blanco Castle was built on the site of an ancient Moorish fortress and served as the residence of the first Marquis of Velez. Externally the building retains a rugged military appearance with massive walls and a tall tower while its interior once featured exquisite marble carvings. The famous courtyard of the castle was sold in the early twentieth century and is now exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Despite the loss of the original decor the architectural ensemble impresses with its scale and the mastery of its stonework. The terraces of the citadel offer a breathtaking circular panorama of the valley and the mountain ranges of the Sierra de Maria-Los Velez nature park.