Toni Calderón
A still-habitable castle
You can see the imposing and well-conserved Castle of La Encomienda only 8km from Villanueva de la Serena on the highway toward Valdivia. It’s close to a lake and the Guadiana River. Even today, it still serves as the residence of a Marquee who sporadically resides in it.
Part of the castle has been renovated and still fulfills its role as a residence, while the other part has suffered gradual deterioration. Every time I’m in the area I like to visit and have a look, especially since its home to many storks and kestrels. At the edge of the castle, you’ll find the village of La Encomienda.
We’re used to seeing castles in ruins but it’s quite difficult to see one that’s this complete. The only trouble is that it isn’t open to the public so you have to accept just viewing it from the outside.
This castle is linked to Pedro de Valdivia, conqueror of Chile, and from here you can see the Castle of Medellín (home to Hernán Cortes) and not too far away is the Castle of Pizarro in Trujillo. So, we’re basically in the heart of conquistador country.
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