Layout of medieval manor (Cijara, in Spain)

[writersaurusrex]

Greetings.  Long-time lurker, first time poster, always interesting stuff I see here.

Basically, I am helping run an rpg set in early 13th century Castile (Ars Magica).  We have decided to base our covenant (where the magi live and work) in Casa Palacio de Cijara.  However, we've found conflicting sites about the age of the manor (some say 17th

Comments

[stormwreath]

Well, according to the local government website, the building shown in your photo was actually constructed in 1873. It's definitely not mediaeval: those big windows would be completely indefensible. Plus the stonework is too regular...
http://herreradelduque.com/turismo/palaciocijara.php

On the other hand, this book (in French) mentions that there was a castle on the site in 1246, but by 1578 it was in ruins.

This site:
http://www.castillosnet.org/programs/castillosnet.php
Seems to be a collecton of information about all Spanish castles, with photos and so forth; it might be useful. As far as I can see, Spanish castles didn't look all that different to those of other European countries, so generic floorplans would probably work fine.

[randomstasis]

Word- that's way too modern.
Check Moorish Iberian castles as well- that's the right time period.
The style seems to be based on the casa fuerte- a little later than you may be looking for, but it's not dissimilar to some Roman fortifications.
Look at castles in the immediate area, to get a better idea of how they might have been laid out- there are several ruins.

[writersaurusrex]

That was the conflicting info I had found. Sounds like there was a castle there in the mid-13th century that was later destroyed, and they built a new one on its site.

Wasn't sure if Castilian castles were more or less the same as other European ones. That does give us a lot more leeway as far as building plans and layouts.

That castillosnet site is pretty neat...lots of pictures which make life easier.

Thank you.

[littlebus]

Hmm... I've been able to find a number of pictures of the outside of the building but none of the inside. It looks like a closed building on national park land. GoogleMaps seems to show it has a fairly large paved courtyard, which would be consistent with Spanish architecture.

Here is a quote from a travelogue "An Architect's Note-book in Spain: principally illustrating the domestic architecture of that country" available on Project Gutenberg:

This plate introduces us to the most striking feature of all important Spanish houses, the Patio, or internal courtyard, answering to and perpetuating the Atrium of Roman architecture, with its impluvium and compluvium, and corresponding with the ordinary Cortile of the Italians. It is usually rectangular in plan, and entirely surrounded upon at least two stories by arcading, behind which run passages into which open the doors of every principal set of apartments of the house. There are rarely many windows in the walls of the Patios, as the rooms generally occupy the whole width intervening

[writersaurusrex]

That book/site looks pretty useful as well. I'm liking the two-story layout with the arcades and the apartments/rooms fronting the central patio.

Thank you.