Segovia Castle
The Arabs built a wooden fort here on Roman foundations. In the late 12th© Alphonso VII of Castille had the "modern" castle built, and it was extended by Phillip II (mentioned previously) in the late 16th©. It was here that Isabella I took refuge before being crowned Queen of Castille and Leon in 1474. We climbed 152 spiral steps to the top of the large, rectangular tower at the rear. Nothing compared to Helen's 600 stairs, but we were still puffing - it must have been the altitude!
Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in ... ... read more 
