In the northwestern corner of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, province of Cádiz stands a castle that catapults you straight back to the late Middle Ages. The Castillo de Santiago is over 500 years old, fully restored, and the most visited monument in the city. Reason enough to make it a stop on your itinerary.

Built on the orders of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia

The castle was built between 1477 and 1478, commissioned by Enrique Pérez de Guzmán, second Duke of Medina Sidonia. The architecture is late Gothic, with a square floor plan, a barbican, and strategically placed towers surrounding a central courtyard. Materials such as clay, masonry, and natural stone give the walls their characteristic texture.

Two elements immediately stand out. The aula maior is a rectangular hall with a brick vault and murals bearing the emblem of its builder, a symbol known as a segur. The tower of homage has a hexagonal floor plan and was deliberately modelled after the tower of Guzmán el Bueno in the castle of Tarifa. On the lower sections of the walls, ancient graffiti and stonemasons' marks have been preserved. Rare historical documents that make the building history tangible.

The Door of the Mermaid

Connecting the central courtyard to the northern barbican, visitors pass one of the most striking details in the castle. The gateway has a semicircular arch, crowned by a relief of a creature with a double tail, flanked by the coats of arms of the Pérez de Guzmán and Mendoza families.

Late Gothic in style, with clear Renaissance influences. At the base, the signature Marinu de Nea points to a Neapolitan craftsman. Whether the central figure is a mermaid or a triton remains a matter of debate to this day. Visitors have been calling the passage the Door of the Mermaid for centuries.

Restoration and a second life

Between 1989 and 1991, an archaeological project uncovered medieval artefacts and architectural elements, including a barrel vault connecting one of the castle's walls to adjacent buildings. That passageway most likely led to the nearby palace of the Medina-Sidonia family.

In 2003, a large-scale restoration project began, funded by the company OFFICIA. The result is impressive. Today, all the halls are open to the public, with permanent exhibitions on historical costumes and cartography.

Trajes de Época: fashion through the centuries

One of the highlights inside the castle is the permanent costume exhibition. It brings together military and civilian clothing from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. Star pieces include a party dress by Parisian dressmaker Eleonor Lelong, whose atelier was instrumental in founding French haute couture and trained designers of the calibre of Dior and Givenchy. Also on display is the only surviving school uniform of the King of Alcalá de Henares, current home of the Instituto Cervantes.

Practical information

The Castillo de Santiago is located at Plaza del Castillo 1, 11540 Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz). Allow at least an hour and a half if you want to take everything in. Pair the visit with a stroll through the historic centre and a glass of manzanilla at one of the nearby terraces.

(c) photo and source: www.castillodesantiago.com