Castillo de Gormaz

An outpost to stop the repopulation advances of the Christian kingdoms in Spain

By María Ayllón

January 9^th, 2021

The castle of Gormaz is a fortress located in Gorma, in the province of Soria (Spain). It sits on a cretaceous hill with an elongated plan that can be seen from many kilometers away in the Soria plains.

It was built in 756 AD by the emir Abd ar-Rahman I of Córdoba, and expanded in 965, when it became the largest fortress in Europe.

Doorways

Alcázar

In the Alcázar we find the Almanzor tower, the weapons room and the Torre del Homenaje and the remains of a cistern.

Walled enclosure

This area housed the troops, stables, warehouses and a large square-shaped open tank dug into the rock.

Gormaz

While the village was founded on 1060, small groups of peasants already populated this area already during the Bronze Age. The name Gormaz refers to the god of hot springs Borbo-Bormanus. Located in the area is Fuentes Grandes, the most important aquifer of the province.

Today about 20 people live in Gormaz.

The Duero river flows past Gormaz. The Duero is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria and flows generally west through the north-west part of central Spain and into northern Portugal, to its mouth at Porto (Portugal), where it meets the Atlantic Ocean.