Castle of Mota del Marqués (Valladolid)

North-west view of the castle

The castle was built in the 13th century during the reign of King Alfonso X the Wise, on a hill overlooking the town. The original layout consisted of a wall flanked by towers, of which some vestiges still remain. The homage tower is preserved in ruin, the only one with a circular floor plan in all of Castile, with arrow slits for defense and covered by a dome. From 1222, it belonged to the Teutonic Knights of Prussia through Beatrice of Swabia, wife of King Ferdinand III the Saint of Castile, passing during the reign of King Alfonso XI to Juan Alonso de Benavides. During the Peninsular War in the 19th century, it was destroyed by the French invaders.