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On Thursday, May 30th we took a trip to one of Segovia’s most celebrated landmarks, The Alcazar.  The first record of the Alcazar of Segovia dates back to the 12th century.  The design of the Alcazar features inspiration from many different cultures, including Arabic, Christian, Romanesque and Celtic.  An example of this is the zigzag entrance to the castle.  All castles of the Arabic tradition have zigzag entrances as a defense mechanism, preventing the easy entrance of the enemy’s armored horses.

            One of the most impressive features of the Alcazar is the castle’s intricate ceiling of Arabic design.  Perhaps the most impressive was the monarch’s room which featured sculptures of the past monarchs of Asturias, Castille and Leon.  These historical rooms also boasted a breath taking view of the beautiful Segovian landscape.  As you make your exit, you can’t help but notice the 140 foot drop into the castle’s medieval moat. Though now empty, it is still an intimidating sight and some of the group were afraid to look over the bridge. All in all, it was an exciting way to start off our Barcelona weekend!

Fun fact: The Alcazar of Segovia was the prime inspiration for the Cinderella castle in Disney World, Florida.

Jueves, el 30 de mayo, visitamos una de las más celebradas e históricas marcas de Segovia, El Alcázar. El primer registro del Alcázar de Segovia feu al iniicon del siglo 12. El diseño del Alcazar fue insiprado por muchas culturas diferentes, incluido el árabe, cristiana, románica y celta. Un ejemplo de esto es la entrada en zigzag al castillo. Todos los castillos de la tradición árabe tienen “zigzag” entradas como mecanismo de defense.

Una de las características más impresionantes del Alcázar es el techo complejo de diseño árabe. Lo más impresionante fue la sala de Reyes que tiene esculturas de los últimos monarcas de Asturias, Castilla y León. Estas salas  históricas también tienen vistas bonitas del paisaje de Segovia. Cuando uno slae del castilo, no se puede dejar de notar la caída de 140 pies en el foso medieval del castillo. Aunque ahora vacío, sigue siendo un espectáculo intimidatorio y algunos del grupo se atrevieron a mirar por encima. En general, fue un buen modo de empezar nuestro fin de semana en Barcelona!

Dato curioso: El Alcázar de Segovia fue la inspiración principal para el castillo de Cenicienta en Disney World, Florida.



Kaitlin Crenshaw
6/3/2013 06:29:40 pm

The drop was 140 feet? No wonder I could only admire the moat from the center of the bridge.

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Victoria Pray
6/3/2013 06:29:47 pm

Hey Jenn and Caroline! Great blog! I like how you put that little fun fact about the castle as well as random interesting facts along the way. Good job!

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Taylor tharrington
6/3/2013 06:39:30 pm

Great job ya'll! Loved how you included all the different cultures that influenced the design of the Alcazar! I also like how you mentioned the Arabic ceiling- that was my favorite.

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Sarah Walters
6/3/2013 06:45:38 pm

Great post! I like how y'all included details about the design and the influences.

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Emily McEvoy
6/3/2013 06:46:49 pm

I love how you described the different parts of the castle! I also love how you included that it was what inspired Cinderella's castle. Great job writing the blog about our fun excursion!

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Ben Gillespie
6/3/2013 06:59:50 pm

I liked the fun fact. It was very fun because Disney is fun haha but for real, you guys did a good job

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Whitney Carter
6/3/2013 07:05:27 pm

I like that y'all told some historc interesting facts like about the Arabic defense mechanism! Very interesting!

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Jamel Lewis
6/3/2013 07:07:12 pm

Caroline and Jenn, Great job on the blog! The many influences on the Alcazar made this castle a great sight to see. Great job displaying the Alcazar through these pictures!

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Sam Nichols
6/3/2013 07:21:11 pm

The fun fact is great, when i think of a castle something like the alcazar is exactly what comes to mind. Also glad you mentioned all the different cultures that have had an influence here, it was awesome to see this unique mix of history all in one place.

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Anitra
6/3/2013 07:35:16 pm

Good job on the blog! Loves the fun fact!

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Sarah Bucher
6/3/2013 07:56:33 pm

My mom told me the fun fact the other day, and I totally didn't believe her! Thats so cool! Glad we finally got to go inside the Alcázar! Such a landmark in Segovia!

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Hannah Grabow
6/3/2013 10:04:39 pm

I didn't realize the zig-zag pattern that the Alcazar had for the entrance. That was a cool fact that I didn't pick up there! Also, love that Disney used the Alcazar as inspiration, makes me want to watch Cinderella!

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Brian Davis
6/4/2013 12:08:47 am

This was a cool experience. I wish we could have went to the Full Moon Party at the Alcázar that McConnell was telling us about.

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Stephanie Evans
6/4/2013 12:46:23 am

I really enjoyed visiting the Alcázar since we´ve heard so much about it. I think the most fascinating fact was the combination of several culture influences on the castle's construction.

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Asabea
6/4/2013 01:16:23 am

Great info guys! I like how you mentioned the ceiling because that was my favorite part. Also, I liked the fun fact about DisneyWorld (second best place in the world after spain)

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Kiona Deans
6/4/2013 05:28:13 am

Loved all the facts and details but you left one out which is the long walk up hill to the alcazar! lol

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Jesse Poovey
6/4/2013 09:19:32 am

Great blog guys. It was interesting to find out that Disney based its castle design off of this one.

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Sierra Moraven
6/5/2013 05:40:42 am

Nice job, ladies! I love all of the interesting facts and didnt realize the drop right outside the drop outside the castle was 140 feet. Wow!!

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