We welcome you to a place where time seems to have stood still, and where every stone holds a story waiting to be told.
The history of this fortress-palace begins in the 11th century, when it was built as a military stronghold intended to protect the rear during the Reconquista. The absence of elevated ground made it necessary to construct an impressive moat around the building, a testament to its original defensive purpose.
In the 15th century, the fortress came under the control of the Catholic Monarchs, who used it as a supply point for their troops before the Battle of Toro during the War of Succession against Juana la Beltraneja.
In 1478, the castle’s history changed profoundly when Alonso de Fonseca y Quijada, Bishop of Ávila, acquired the property and transformed the old fortress into a Renaissance-style manor palace. His intention was to make this place his home together with Doña Teresa de las Cuevas, his lifelong companion, far from the gossip of the nearby villages. Their intense and legendary love story gave the castle its name, and from then on it became popularly known as the Castle of Good Love.
After the deaths of Don Alonso and Doña Teresa, the castle ceased to be a residence and was used for centuries as an agricultural storehouse. Years of neglect caused some of its towers to lose height and part of the defensive walls to disappear, with stones reused in nearby constructions. A fire in 1903 also destroyed the coffered ceilings of the upper floor.
In 1958, the Fernández de Trocóniz family acquired the castle in a state of considerable abandonment and undertook an extensive restoration to return it to its former splendour. Although there were initial plans to open it as an inn, it was not until 2003 that the castle finally opened its doors as a hotel, allowing travellers from around the world to inhabit it and experience its history and charm firsthand.
Today, walking through the Castillo del Buen Amor is a journey through the centuries: from medieval fortress to Renaissance palace, and finally into a place where the past meets contemporary hospitality. For those who wish to explore its history in greater depth,
a copy of Emilio Salcedo’s booklet “El Castillo del Buen Amor” is available at reception, recounting in detail each era and anecdote of the castle’s history.