While on your HOLIDAY HOMES SPAIN make sure to visit some of the slightly newer monuments. High on the hills of Figueres near Catalonia is one of the largest fortresses in Spain, Sant Ferran Castle, built after the treaty of the Pyrenees which was signed to end the war with France in 1659. This massive military fortress was built to house 6,000 men and 500 horses and to this day regarded as a model of Military architecture. Nowadays soldiers carrying swords and guns have now swapped places with tourists armed with cameras and the odd umbrella, as it now stands empty, cold and almost desolate except for the town below.
5 kilometres of ditches surround the fort while inside the deep walls and a long way underground huge tanks that hold up to 40 million gallons of water give it the name "Cathedral of Water". The figures are impressive, almost as impressive as the parade ground surrounded by a wall that runs the length and breadth 3.2 kilometres. Inside the walls the land in those walls covers 32.5 hectares. There are guided tours of the castle but be forewarned: although supplied in many languages it is a full tour in 4x4 land rovers and dinghies and it also takes a couple of hours. The 4x4 Jeeps are there to take the groups on the guided tour around the full expanse of the fortress and it's from one of these that anyone can really get an idea of the immense size of the fortress. The tour includes an underground look at military power and the engineering skills of the time and the defensive system, how and where men would patrol and guard. Then a visit to the Cathedral of Water to show what 40 million gallons of water looks like when it is confined to one space, although actually separated into four cisterns. The tour continues with dinghies and takes the group through one of the tanks and another hour is lost underground. Old infirm and pregnant people are discouraged from entering. Although the tour is extremely safe there is a lot of walking and clambering involved especially when climbing in and out of the dinghies. Those on the tour are given hard hats as a precaution as well. The tour guides are more than happy to explain the every which, what and how about the fortress in Spanish, French, German and English.
Once out on the walls, the impressive panoramic views over the double buttresses of the surrounding country side are incredible. Looking out over the vista it is understandable why it was used as a prison up until 1997. Since its construction and the obvious strength of the massive walls and the fact that 12,000 men could have been used to defend it, double the 6,000 men that would normally be garrisoned there. The castle on three separate occasions surrendered without any resistance to the armies of Napoleon Bonaparte. Recently there have been many campaigns to turn the fortress into a monument of peace due to this. How often does anyone visit such a monument when on their HOLIDAY HOMES SPAIN?
About the Author:
Porsche is an avid traveller throughout the holiday region of Spain. She loves writing about all of those special hideaways we all would love to find so keep reading about all of her travels and things to do in this lovely country. At present she is travelling and writing for Akilar.com and telling you just why you should book your dream holiday home from the Owners Direct.