HISTORICAL SUMMARY

The site of the Alcázar of Segovia, on the top of a rock shaped by the rivers Eresma and Clamores, shows the military origins of this fortress which, for centuries, was impregnable.

The oldest testimony we have of the Alcázar is a document dating from the early days of the 12^th century (1122), a short time after the town had been recaptured by Alfonso VI, which refers to the fortress as a hill-fort on the Eresma. A short time later, in a letter of 1155, it was already being referred to as "Alcázar". However, it is more than probable that the fortress had existed in earlier times, possibly since the Roman occupation, because granite blocks similar to those of the Aqueduct have been found in the course of recent excavations. In residencies of the monarchs of Castile, partly due to the beauty of its location and its unquestionable military secureness, and partly for its proximity to the famous hunting-grounds in the mountain forests. 
       

No architectural remains of this royal palace have been found previous to the times of Alfonso VIII "de las Navas" (late 12^th century or early 13^th century). However, the fact remains that there is a progressive consolidation of the process whereby the fortress acquires its status as a residence for the Court. The alterations were made in the elegant austerity of the Cistercian style, at the beginning of the transitional period between the Romanesque and the Gothic styles. Undoubtedly the gallery on the north side belongs to this period, consisting of a large hall (called the Great Hall) flanked on both sides by private rooms in the oriental style. The great western tower, called "Torre del Homenaje" (the Keep) follows the same design as the central part of the Alcázar. It consists of a hall topped with a pointed barrel vault and double-arched windows (mullioned) in its walls, which was used as an armoury. Despite the Cistercian character of these buildings, the Moorish art appears in the painted decorations such as the skirting boards with lace patterns painted in red on the light-coloured plaster background.

Alfonso X "The Wise" showed a special liking for Segovia and made the Alcázar into one of his favourite residences until the later days of his life, when the Parliament was held in this town which had remained loyal to him.

In the 14^th century, Segovia bore witness to the struggle between different noble factions which the Alcázar did not escape; the new usage of artillery forced it to reinforce its walls and extend its defences.

The monarchs of the Trastámara dynasty made use of the new gallery, parallel to the previous one, and converted it into a sumptuous series of halls in the style of the alcázares of Andalusia. The Gothic-Mudéjar decorations in these halls were begun in the times of Catherine of Lancaster, her son Juan II's regent. During his reign the great feasts at court, evoked by Jorge Manrique in his famous "Coplas", took place.

Enrique IV, very fond of Segovia, continued to embellish the Alcázar; during his reign the large tower bearing his father's name must have been finished. The Alcázar was a key fortress for the control of Castile, and it was from here that Isabella the Catholic set out for the Main Square to be proclaimed Queen. The Alcázar was also important during the civil wars of all successive periods, from the reign of Juana the Mad and the war of the "Comunidades" to the War of the Spanish Succession in the 18th century and the Carlist wars in the 19th century.

The monarchs of the Austrian dynasty frequently visited it and Philip II married his fourth wife, Anna of Austria, here. This King had important alterations made in the Alcázar, such as the patio in the Herrera style, and he had the roofs covered with conical slate spires in the style of the Central European castles.
 

Later on, the Alcázar was used as a state prison, where several important people were confined. It remained like that until 1762 when Carlos III founded the Royal School of Artillery, and installed it in the Alcázar in 1764. The first director of the School was Count Félix Gazola. The Royal School stayed here, except for short periods of time, until March 6, 1862, when a fire destroyed the roofs. From this date to the present the Royal School, later called the Artillery Academy, has been located in the convent of St. Francis in Segovia. The Alcázar was restored and, in 1898, the General Military Archives were installed on the upper floor. In 1953, the "Patronato del Alcázar" (Alcázar Trust) of Segovia was created; this is the institution in charge of the museum nowadays.