Condes de Monterrei palace

Monterrei palace-fortress, where you are, is built on the old castro de Baroncelli, on the highest area of  Monterrei valley,  dominating the vast territory that surrounds it.
The castle was built in the XII century by Alfonso Henríquez, King Alfonso VI’s grandson. Between its walls lived different lineages as los Ulloa, los Zúñiga, los Fonseca or los duques de Alba, and in 1336 Pedro I El Cruel spent the season in the fortress  avoiding Enrique II, on their contest over the Castilian-Leonese kingdom.
The fortress has as defensive elements three fortified precincts, a drawbridge, and a fourteen metres moat. Between the buildings the whole fortress has, should be highlighted the pilgrim hospital, a Gothic temple or La torre de las Damas, built in the XIV century as the first keep of the medieval castle, preserving a remarkable corridor of columns with stone coats of arms.  Already in the XV century was built the impressive keep, emblem of the whole palace, by D.Sancho Sanchéz de Ulloa, first conde de Monterrei. With a square floor-plan design, more than twenty-two metres in height and great proportions, it has little openings and is crowded with a barbican held up by cantilevers.
Also, the Palacio de los Condes, built in the Renaissance style, is located inside the precinct. Inside the palace is possible to admire large corridors with segmental arches, where each column is decorated with different coats of arms.

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