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La Mota Castle (San Sebastian)

Castles in the Basque Country (autonomous community)Peninsular War
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Braun Donostia San Sebastián UBHD

La Mota Castle (Castillo de la Mota, Castillo de Santa Cruz de la Mota or Castillo del Santo Christo de la Mota) is an old fortress strategically located on the hilltop of Mount Urgull (Monte Orgullo), in San Sebastian, Spain. The city itself was built at the foot of Mount Urgull, a hill (mota) at the end of a peninsula. Apart from its location, the castle's primary defences were its thick walls (with access at three points, including to the keep, using drawbridges) and, over time, its integration with the city's overall fortifications. Official documents often refer only to the main buildings of the castle itself but sometimes also include the whole of Mount Urgull when referring to the castle. Much of the current structure of the castle dates from between 1863 and 1866, and further restoration work was carried out in 1965. The castle was first declared a monument of archtectural and artistic interest in 1925, and since then has been subjected different levels of protection, the latest being declared a Monumento Históricoartístico de Carácter Nacional (national monument) in 1984.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article La Mota Castle (San Sebastian) (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

La Mota Castle (San Sebastian)
Batería de Napoleón, San Sebastián Centro

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 43.325 ° E -1.989 °
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Address

Mota gaztelua

Batería de Napoleón
20003 San Sebastián, Centro
Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain
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Urgull
Urgull

Urgull (Gascon etymology for 'pride') is a hill by the ocean sitting at the heart of the Basque city of San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain. The hill (123 m at its highest point) shapes along with Mount Ulia and Igeldo the city's coastline relief, standing at the northern end of a peninsula formerly linked to mainland by a spit of sand between the river Urumea and the Bay of La Concha (nowadays a built-up area making up the city centre). The hill became a defense point since the early ages of the city foundation in the 12th century, but the walls and the military structure were reinforced especially after the modern state boundaries took shape in the 16th century. The hill is topped by a stronghold (headquarters, barracks and warehouses), the Mota Castle, but it had a chapel and a conspicuous 12 metre-long sculpture of Jesus Christ added in 1950, now towering over the bay. The hill (as well as the city) was a hotspot for military operations, like the ones of the Siege of San Sebastián (1813) and the assaults of 1823, 1836 and 1876 (Carlist Wars). The hill lost its military interest on account of the city's newly acquired tourist resort status and was sold to the city council in 1924. Urgull shows nowadays a tree-covered surface for the most part, picturesque military structures reminiscent of other times and pleasant promenades with outstanding views over the bay and the city. The rooms of the stronghold at the hill top accommodate a small history museum, part of the major San Telmo Museoa located at the south-eastern access of the hill.