Castle of the Bishops of Sigüenza
The Castle of the Bishops of Sigüenza is in Sigüenza, in the province of Guadalajara, central Spain. Its history goes back to the Celtiberians, with the Visigoths building a small castle in the 5th century. In the early 8th century, the Moors built a large fortress to defend the area, inside a walled area called the medina.
In 1123 the castle was retaken by Bernard of Agen, and afterward Simón Girón de Cisneros built an episcopal palace there. In 1298, during a battle against Ferdinand IV of Castile, Alfonso de la Cerda’s troops took the castle, but the bishop’s vassals defended it. In the 15th century the bishops strengthened the castle to protect it from attacks by Aragon and Navarre.
At the end of the 18th century, Bishop Juan Díaz de la Guerra changed the fortress into an episcopal palace, adding more windows, balconies and stables. In 1808, during the War of Spanish Independence, the French damaged and looted the castle before El Empecinado recaptured it. The episcopal palace was further damaged by a fire in the 1830s and was abandoned.
In 1972 the castle was given the status of parador, a luxury hotel. Restoration work began in 1964 and was completed in 1976, led by architect José Luis Picardo. The building officially reopened in 1978 with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía visiting.
Today the Castle of the Bishops of Sigüenza is the Parador de Sigüenza. Its great lounge still serves as the castle’s original dining room, decorated with banners and suits of armor.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 19:05 (CET).