Castle of Olmillos de Sasamón (Burgos)

South-west view of the castle

The Cartagena castle is a fortress built in 1446 by Pedro de Cartagena, alderman of Burgos in the town of Olmillos de Sasamón. It was built as a stately palace, consisting of a rectangular floor plan with circular towers at the corners, perfectly maintaining circular machicolations crowning the cubes and gyratories. On its walls you can distinguish blazons with the fleur-de-lis of the coat of arms of the Cartagena family, the most powerful Jewish-convert family in late medieval Spain. Ownership of the castle has passed through the hands of various families and owners (the Valoria lineage, the ducal house of the Gor, the Arteche family). Around 1989 the San José family bought the castle and after restoring it they used it as a hotel.

Main facade on the south wall of the castle

Door to the indoor castle grounds

View of the castle's parade ground, currently the facilities of the 

Señorío de Olmillos hotel

Terrace of the parade ground, now with glass roof

South facade of the upper floor of the residential building

Detail of the double pointed arch windows in the residential building