Puntos de Interés
Culture
Castle of Juan Manrique de Lara
The Castle of San Leonardo de Yagüe is located on a rocky promontory that crowns this Soria town at an altitude of over a thousand metres above sea level. It is a palace complex built in the mid-16th century by Juan Manrique de Lara. This Renaissance-style fortress had thick, sturdy bastions and was prepared to defend against gunfire attacks.
For decades it was an icon of this historic municipality, and its original design meant it inspired other contemporary architects who copied the architecture of the Palace of San Leonardo de Yagüe in other military constructions in America. The building had a rectangular base and two storeys, as well as an inner courtyard. Remains have also been found in the area around the castle, suggesting a chapel may also have existed there.
Despite its architectural and historical importance, the passing of the years has not been kind to the castle which is now in an advanced state of ruin. For more than two centuries the area around this old Renaissance fortress served as a quarry and it is not unusual to see stones and cornices belonging to the castle attached to some of the houses and buildings in the town, and even the church and the fountain in the square. In recent decades, several initiatives have been taken to promote the restoration of this historic construction.