Castile and, especially, Valladolid It is a land of castles. Some as well preserved as those of Penafiel either Fuensaldaña and others that, unfortunately, fell into abandonment in recent centuries and today are simple ruins. This was the case of the castle or fortress of Trigueros del Vallea small town very close to the capital of Pucelana and whose remains had been passed from hand to hand in the last century due to the oblivion of the authorities.
Everything changed at the beginning of the 21st century, when funds were finally raised for a deep restoration. Some of the areas of the fortress that were in better condition were recovered, but no one could imagine then that, years later, The castle would end up full of dragons, fairies, superheroes and the occasional troll. We discover how a crazy idea by artist Juan Villa has ended up being one of the most visited attractions in the province and an essential visit within the Cigales Wine Route.
The story of a fortress:
The Trigueros del Valle fortress was built between the 14th and 15th centuries on the foundations of an old church. Its history begins in 1427, when John II grants a privilege to Fernan Alfonso de Robles to establish a mayorazgo that included Trigueros and its valley. However, Fernán’s fortune changes drastically when he is imprisoned and murdered for rising up against the royal ruler.
Years later, his son Gutierrealong with his wife Maria de Guevarabeautified the castle by adding family coats of arms over the main entrance, dated 1453. After his death, it is his son Fernan who took control of the castle in 1480, ignoring his mother’s testamentary provisions. His authoritarian rule culminates in a violent assault during the War of the Communities in 1521, an event that is recreated every summer in this place.
In the following centuries, the castle suffered numerous damages and several renovations to adapt to changes in weaponry during different periods. However, it preserves very interesting medieval characteristics such as its huge vaulted underground stables or his defensive tower with a huge embrasure.
In the 20th century, part of the castle was dismantled to use its stones in local constructions and it was not until 2002 when restoration works led by the architect began. Fernando Cobos until it became the current enchanted castle that we can visit today.
The enchanted castle: a crazy idea that ended up being a success
In 2019, the old medieval castle was disguised with magical touches to transform into the current one. Enchanted castle. This fantasy world, full of surprises, was the result of a creative collaboration between the artist Juan Villa and the town hall of Trigueros del Valle.
Crossing its walls is like traveling to another universe, where legendary creatures, well-known fictional characters and mythical beings come to life. The experience begins in Dragon roomwhere these mythological animals and skeletons share space with a replica of the famous throne from the series “Game of Thrones”.
The tour continues through several themed areas, such as an enchanted garden inhabited by fairies and gnomes in the central patio, a cabinet of curiosities, full of mysterious objects from all over the world, or a room dedicated to the universe of Harry Potter, with the figures of famous characters such as the charismatic Hagrid or a huge troll measuring more than two meters.
Going up the Enchanted Tower We will reach a magical library. There we will have to find a secret door to access the battlements of the castle, which give us spectacular views of the valley that surrounds the castle. The latest novelty has been a room decorated with large figures of the Marvel’s most famous superheroes, to which we are missing any details.
The entrance to the castle, which has come to welcome more than 1,000 visitors daily, has a general cost of six euroswhich is reduced to five euros in the case of children from 3 to 11 years old, people over 65 or groups.
Juan Villa, the artist behind the project
Juan Villa, born in the beautiful Asturian town of Luarca, moved to Valladolid with his family when he was only eight years old. There he very early developed his passion for art and He ended up specializing in sculpture at the School of Arts and Crafts in the Castilian city.
In 1998, Juan founded Prometheus Sculpture, a company dedicated to the creation of props and sculptural elements for a wide range of applications, from film and television to museums and exhibitions. Over time he specialized in manufacture detailed and realistic replicas of fossils, archaeological pieces, and figures for museumscombining traditional sculpture skills with advanced technologies such as 3D printing and CNC milling.
Especially well known is Juan’s work on the television program “Fourth millenium”, where he has collaborated closely in the creation of pieces that complement the mystery narratives of the program. Some of these works could be seen in the successful exhibition around the program that toured Spain a few years ago.
The artist is the brains behind the Enchanted Castle and financed the project out of his own pocket. Although he did not receive much support at the beginning, The initiative ended up convincing the Trigueros del Valle city council who eventually joined the project and is responsible for the maintenance and management of visits to the castle.
Very close to the enchanted castle, there is another proposal by the artist that pays tribute to the Star Wars universe. Located in the town of Valoria la Buena There is the Space Port, which houses hundreds of figures of characters from the saga and some spaceships.
