© Mark Wade
| Gormaz © Mark Wade |
Gormaz was the greatest fortification in tenth century Europe. The Moorish castle was a major base for Muslim armies defending the Duero against Christian encroachments and used for raids north into Christian territory.
Galib completed a decade-long reconstruction of the alcazar on top of earlier Christian foundations in 956. The fort held out in several sieges by the Christians, and changed hands once, before finally being definitively reconquered by Fernando in 1060. The historic Cid was the alcalde of Gormaz in 1087. The Moorish alcazar, including the tower of Al-Mansur, is still visible today within later 14th Century additions. The alcazar includes seven towers arrayed around a 446 m x 60 m x 10 m high wall. The interior included housing for large numbers of troops, horses, and a huge cistern to provide water in times of siege. The immense 14th Century outer wall has no fewer than 26 rectangular towers.
Gormaz has been populated since remote antiquity. A 4th Century BC pre-Roman necropolis with over 1200 tombs and a Celtic castro are on the south slope of the hill below the castle. The name Gormaz is believed to derive from the ancient Hispanic god Borbo-Bormanus, a deity associated with thermal springs.
The modern village of Gormaz has only a few dozen inhabitants. The 18-span bridge across the Duero below was built by the Romans, rebuilt by the Arabs, and had its last renovation in 1864. The hermitage of San Miguel was originally built as a mosque in the 7th Century, and its dedicatory Arabic inscription is still intact. Latitude: 41.49403. Longitude: -3.00904.
At this time it came to pass that there was strife between Count Don Gomez the Lord of Gormaz, and Diego Laynez the father of Rodrigo; and the Count insulted Diego and gave him a blow.
And at the same time there came before him Ximena Gomez, the daughter of the Count, who fell on her knees before him and said, Sir, I am the daughter of Count Don Gomez of Gormaz, and Rodrigo of Bivar has slain the Count my father, and of three daughters whom he has left I am the youngest.
And while the King was going through Andalusia, having the land at his mercy, a great power of the Moors assembled together on the other side, and entered the land, and besieged the castle of Gormaz, and did much evil.