Safra: from the Bronze Age to Game of Thrones (14 photos)

In the acclaimed series "Game of Thrones," young Ned Stark crosses swords with Targaryen minions against the backdrop of a majestic castle known as the Tower of Joy.





Like many locations in this iconic television epic, the Tower of Joy exists in reality, albeit under a different name. Its real name is Castillo de Zafra, and it is located in the Spanish province of Guadalajara.



Castle Zafra rises on a rocky outcrop in the Caldereros Mountains at an altitude of 1,400 meters. It is the only structure for many kilometers around. The entire area consists of rolling meadows interspersed with heavily eroded sandstone cliffs, on one of which the castle stands. The main keep and other buildings are surrounded by a wall that follows the entire perimeter of the cliff. Despite its modest size, it is believed that the castle could accommodate up to 500 people.





Construction took place in the 12th and 13th centuries, but traces of human presence in this area, and especially on this rock, date back to the Bronze and Iron Ages. It is possible that there was a Roman structure here earlier. It is known for certain that a fortress also stood here during the Visigothic Kingdom in the 8th century. The Moors later built a fortress on this site, which was conquered by the Christian kingdoms of northern Spain in 1129.



The current castle was built by the Kingdom of Aragon as a key defensive point in the south of its domains. Its fortifications were tested in 1222, when King Ferdinand III of Castile unsuccessfully attempted to storm the citadel. The castle remained impregnable until the late 15th century, when its defensive value diminished and it began to slowly deteriorate.



By the 1970s, it was in a state of complete disrepair, when a private individual purchased it from the state. Over the next thirty years, the owner spent most of his savings on restoration and renovation of the fortress, returning it to its present appearance.





[thumb]https://cn22.nevsedoma.com.ua/p/29/2914/1 19_files/6617f9e003f40d61ff568ca861960806.webp[/thumb]



[thumb]https://cn22.nevsedoma.com.ua/p/29/2914/119_files/1_519d63fb 8233b98f0db545ce463420fa.webp[/thumb]



[thumb]https://cn22.nevsedoma.com.ua/p/29/2914/119_files/1a37a4ceb5a60cbaf184a872f54 4c178.webp[/thumb]



-