Discover Peñiscola
Peniscola Castle
A castle in the sea
The Pope Moon, one of the Hispanic figures more universally known and simultaneously controversial, moved in 1411 to Peñíscola turning his castle into palace and library pontificia. Of the walls and dependences of this strength they radiate ideas, feelings and prejudices on a complete, honest and virtuous man who had the audacity of persevering in his conviction of real Pope of the Catholic Church in an epoch marked by wars, ambitions, greeds and corruptions that they affected even to the high dignities of the Church, which spiritual power had to act deceitfully before the political and civil power. The Castle is located in the highest zone of the crag, reaching a height of 64m on the level of the sea. His perimeter is of approximately 230 m and has an average height of 20 m. The Templars constructed this Romanesque work on remains of the former Arabic fort between 1294 and 1307.
Templar Castle
The Castle is located in the highest zone of the crag, reaching a height of 64m on the level of the sea. His perimeter is of approximately 230 m and has an average height of 20 m. The Templars constructed this Romanesque work on remains of the former Arabic fort between 1294 and 1307.
Of similar characteristics to the constructed ones for the same gentlemen in Holy Land and Catalonia, stands out his seemed one with Miravet's castle, constructed 150 years before. Benedicto XIII realized small reforms during his stay in this castle transforming it into papal palace.
The factory of the walls is of carved stone and all the dependences cover with tunnel vaults, in slightly pointed occasions, which start of very simple fascias formed by a cord moldurado. The hollows of the doors are forged by arches of widely and generous dovelaje.
Emphasizes in the whole set the sobriety and solidity of his construction, so much in the stays templarias as in the strategic and dense dependences pontificias that there would realize later Benedicto XIII (between that there was installed one of the best libraries of the world). But, maybe, the major architectural interest of the castle is in the domed solution of the Police officer's Body and in the austerity and severe proportion of the Basilica of the Templars.
Benedicto XIII y Clemente VIII
Used by Benedicto XIII and Clemente VIII as Basilica Pontificia, to the constructive characteristics of the rest of stays it joins the presbytery forming semicircular apse covered with a half dome of shell elevated on an arch toral and a small large window placed in the center of the apse that illuminates tensionalmente the space. In this Basilica the remains of the Pontiff rested during some time.
In this castle they preserve still remembranzas evocative of the presence of the Pope Moon and of his successor Clemente VIII, also Aragonese Gil Sanchez Muñoz, the second Pope of Peñíscola. The papal Basilica of Benedicto XIII, this austere ship of rectangular plant with slightly pointed tunnel vault and spherical cap on the apse; the lounge of the throne where it was receiving embassies and receipts; the lounge of the conclave; the study with windows to the sea; the rooms pontificias, etc. All this, used for two you eat of Peñíscola, it had served before the Gentlemen Templars and to the Montesianos that had here the headquarters and support of his commission.
The modifications introduced by Philip II for artillar the strength, as well as the bombardments suffered in the numerous wars and sieges, did not alter substantially the conformation of the castle, which there was declared Historical Artistic National Monument in 1931. In 1957, for ministerial order, his management was yielded to Castellón's Deputation, initiating this one his restoration
