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Chinchón Castle, also called Castillo de los Condes, is located south of the urban area of Chinchón, in the Community of Madrid (Spain). It is one of the two fortresses of the municipality, along with the Casasola castle. Built in the 15th century, it is made up of two interlocking quadrangular bodies, with corners ending in cylindrical towers.
The building is part of the Historical-Artistic Complex of Chinchón, according to the 1974 declaration. It is in good condition, despite the historical vicissitudes, which resulted in several lootings and fires. It is privately owned; The property belongs to the counts of Chinchón.
The castle that has survived to this day sits on a primitive fortress, around which the Chinchón manor was built, held by the Cabrera family since the time of King Henry IV of Castile. The original building suffered considerable damage in the attack carried out by the community troops in 1520. The square was delivered with all its artillery on January 21, 1521.
The third count of Chinchón, Diego Fernández de Cabrera y Bobadilla, decided to demolish the remains that remained. On his site, he ordered the construction of a new castle, taking advantage of the materials from the old one. The authorship and chronology of the phases of the work are unknown, although it is known that its construction lasted from 1590 to 1598.
Likewise, there are references to the construction costs. In his will, Fernández de Cabrera y Bobadilla stated that he had spent fifty thousand ducats, without having left the foundations. The castle was well preserved until 1705, the year in which it suffered the consequences of the War of the Spanish Succession. On that date it was occupied by the troops of the army of the Archduke of Austria, led by the Marquis de las Minas. Its premises were used for the installation of abundant artillery. Later, it suffered a fire in its northwest part, as a result of the storage of hemp.
A century later, in 1808, during the three-day siege of Chinchón, it was looted and burned at the hands of the Polish Brigade of French Marshal Claude Perrin Victor, in the context of the War of Independence. In the 20th century, part of its materials were used for the regeneration of roads, fences and houses. It was also used as a liquor factory.
