The so called castle of Aguas Mansas (which could be translated as castle of Calm Waters or Quiet Waters) is a remarkable medieval castle, which is in an excellent state of conservation, located in the municipality of Agoncillo in La Rioja, Spain. It was built during the 13th and 14th centuries. It is accessed from the square, in front of the parish church of Nuestra Señora La Blanca. Declared a National Historic Artistic Monument in 1983, this castle was built in ashlar stone in various periods (13th and 14th centuries), with a rectangular floor plan and towers at all four corners, connected by curtain walls.
The coat of arms of the House of Medrano with a cross fluery can be seen on the entrance of the castle, located on its eastern facade, a sign of its historical ownership and lordship.[1][2]
The complete restoration of the Castle of Aguas Mansas to serve as the municipal offices of the Agoncillo City Hall has been a lengthy process, beginning effectively in 1989 when the Culture Department of the Government of La Rioja, in agreement with the City Hall, decided to intervene to save it from ruin. The significance of its restoration is understood as perhaps the most important piece of medieval civil architecture in La Rioja.
The interior combines history and modernity, and it is currently restored and used as the Town Hall, Library and other Agoncillo Town Departments that can be visited -always after booking the aforementioned dependencies- on working days during the opening hours of the administration.[3]
The Codex Vigilanus mentions the conquest of a Muslim castle in this area by Sancho Garcés, king of Pamplona at the beginning of the 10th century. Subsequently, several documents of the 11th and 12th centuries name a fortress called Aguas Mansas (Calm Waters) or Aguas Muertas (Dead Waters) and brought attention to the high quality of its defences. This may be the reason this site was so coveted, and in 1191, Alfonso VIII reached an agreement with Pedro and Gómez García about the state surrounding lands.
13th century
Around 1211, a Medrano lord ruled Agoncillo when his son fell ill with a mysterious, untreatable ailment. During his travels, Saint Francis of Assisi visited the castle, placed his hands upon the boy, and miraculously healed him, securing the Medrano lineage in Agoncillo. This event cemented the family's prominence and enduring reverence for the saint.[4]
The coat of arms of the House of Medrano, featuring the cross flory, is displayed on the eastern entrance of their castle. This emblem traces back to their ancestors, Martín López de Medrano and Pedro González de Medrano, who fought at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa on 16 July 1212. As part of the distinguished retinue of Sancho VII of Navarre, they stood among the most prominent nobles of the kingdom.[5] They took up arms: gulesshield with the argent (Pedro) and Or (Martín) crosses, figured as that of Calatrava.[6][7][8]
14th century
In 1337, Rodrigo Alfonso de Medrano, chief crossbowman of Alfonso XI, bought the village of Agoncillo, La Rioja and the castle of Aguas Mansas from Sancho Sánchez de Rojas.[9] Rodrigo Alfonso de Medrano started carrying out several remodelling works, adapting it to the style of the 14th century. In Rodrigo Alfonso de Medrano's testament in 1345 he noted having spent big amounts of money in "...building the castle and the village" (in Old Spanish "...fazer el castillo e la villa").[9]
The floor plan of the castle is almost rectangular with four prism-shaped towers on each corner, whose machicolations are still preserved to the current day. The castle was built with dimension stones and in two stages, the first in the middle of the 14th century over a former building and the second at the end of the 15th century. It also features an impressive moat. The highest tower has four floors and a door with a pointed arch. The smallest tower, called de las palomas (of the doves), has some well preserved modillions which supported the machicolation. The parade ground, restored in the 16th century, has a cloister shape, is built at two levels and the gallery of the main floor rests on semicircular arches. An integral restoration was carried out in 1990, removing some utilitarian rooms created in the 18th and 19th century, returning it to its former appearance.
Mural in Agoncillo
In 2024, a large-scale mural depicting a 16th-century armored knight was completed on a prominent wall facing the Castle of Aguas Mansas in Agoncillo. The work was commissioned by the Ayuntamiento de Agoncillo as part of a cultural revitalization initiative surrounding the castle and the annual Brindis de Aguas Mansas festivities. Painted by the Spanish street artist Nesui, the mural honors the martial and noble heritage associated with the castle.[10]
The figure is interpreted as a warrior from the 16th century, clad in Renaissance-style plate armor with a red cloak and gold embroidery, symbolizing nobility, command, and loyalty. The mural has since become a visual landmark, anchoring the castle's medieval past and lords in the town's contemporary cultural identity. It complements the historical significance of the site, which was restored in the 1990s, and contributes to local tourism through its role in the annual medieval-themed celebrations held in the town square.[11]
Goicoechea, Cesáreo (1949). Castillos de la Rioja, notas descriptivas e históricas (in Spanish). Logroño. p.125. ISBN84-398-9272-1.{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Queralt del Hierro, María Pilar (2004). Los mejores castillos de España (in Spanish). León: Everest. pp.380 ff. ISBN84-241-0767-5.
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