The Pilgrimage ~ The Fortress of the Knights Templar

Spain Westward Journey ~ León (Region) The Templar Castle of Ponferrada is a magnificent building. It houses the Templar Library and the Ponferrada Center for Investigative Studies, which contains nearly 1,400 books, including facsimiles of Leonardo da Vinci's works. It was originally a hill fort and later became a Roman castle. At the beginning of the 12th century, the Knights Templar captured the fortress, fortified and expanded it, using it as a habitable palace and to provide protection for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. The building has an irregular square plan. The most prominent feature is that the entrance requires a drawbridge across the moat. Further ahead are two large towers with crenellated structures connected by arches. Its twelve original towers reproduce the shapes of constellations. #2024TravelReview #SpainTravel #Castile-León