The castle of Manzanares El Real, former residence of the Dukes of Infantado, is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Madrid. At the end of its period of restoration between the seventies and eighties, Madrid opened the monument to the public permanently, making it a symbol of the region.
More than forty years after the castle first opened its doors to visitors from all over the world, the Town Hall of Manzanares El Real has informed that the monument has temporarily closed to the public.
The sudden closure has been the consequence of a licensing problem. After the expiration of the lease that ceded the management of the castle to the Community of Madrid, Almudena de Arteaga y del Alcázar, Duchess of Infantado and legitimate owner, has become the new manager of the Manzanares monument.
Being a heritage asset, the initial plan of the Duchess was to maintain visits to the castle. However, the City Council of Manzanares El Real has explained that the Community of Madrid was carrying out the tourist activities “without any license”. Although this is feasible for a public administration, the consistory has stated that it also “hinders the continuity of opening the castle” by changing hands.
The City Council has launched a message of hope to the people of Manzanares, assuring that “it is fully committed to the reopening of the castle” (which also needs the involvement of the new owner and the Community of Madrid).
Historical importance of the castle
The 1st Duke of Infantado, Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Figueroa, ordered the construction of the castle of Manzanares El Real in the mid-15th century. The building symbolizes the power of the House of Mendoza, one of the most influential in Castile due to its links with the Catholic Monarchs. Its particular design – conceivedby the architect Juan Guas –and its history made it a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1931. Five decades later (1983), the Statute of Autonomy of Madrid was signed inside.