Castle of Grajal de Campos (León)

Eastern view of the castle

The castle of Grajal de Campos is a military construction from the 16th century, designed by the architect Lorenzo de Aldonza on the remains of another previous castle from the 10th century. It is considered the first artillery castle in Spain. It was built between 1517 and 1521 by order of Hernando de Vega, and finished by his son Juan de Vega, first count of Grajal de Campos. It has a quadrangular plan with four towers where the largest caliber cannons were located. In the past, it was isolated by a moat with a drawbridge and an entrance door, all of which is currently buried, and its exact location has not been found. According to an 18th century manuscript, it was located on the southern side of the complex. It is built on a pronounced slope and the mote itself and the rubble were used to embank the indoor of the fortress and achieve the current platform that surrounds its walls.