Oropesa Castle

Oropesa Castle is made up of two adjoining buildings: the "old castle," a Moorish-origin courtyard from the 12th-13th centuries, and the "new castle," added in the 14th-15th centuries. In 1355, the town and castle were granted to García Álvarez de Toledo, Master of the Order of Santiago, in exchange for relinquishing the mastership in favor of a loyal follower of Henry II of Trastámara. For centuries it was a principal seat of power for the Álvarez de Toledo family, lords and later counts of Oropesa.

In 1930, the castle became a Parador — the first in the entire network to occupy a historic building, marking the beginning of the model that now defines Spain's Paradores. After several renovations, it was consolidated as a Parador Nacional de Turismo in 1966.

Today its rooms sit within the historic castle structure.

The castle's role as the founding Parador in 1930 gives Oropesa genuine historical significance within the story of Spanish state-run hospitality, distinct from being merely one of many chain properties.

The estate's centuries-long association with the Álvarez de Toledo family, granted the title in 1355 in exchange for political loyalty during the Trastámara succession, ties Oropesa to a specific moment of 14th-century Castilian dynastic politics.

The castle's position overlooking the Tagus valley and the Sierra de Gredos gives guests staying at Oropesa sweeping views over one of Castile's most scenic landscapes.