{"id":2735,"date":"2014-11-12T09:37:08","date_gmt":"2014-11-12T09:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.spainexchange.com\/?p=2735"},"modified":"2026-10-09T14:01:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T14:01:32","slug":"castillo-de-san-servando-toledo-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spainexchange.com\/articles\/castillo-de-san-servando-toledo-spain\/","title":{"rendered":"Castillo de San Servando, Toledo, Spain"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Castillo de San Servando stands on a hill on the left bank of the Tagus, facing the old town of Toledo across the Puente de Alc\u00e1ntara. It began as a monastery, became a fortress and is used today as a youth hostel. This post covers its history, its architecture, how it is used now and how to get there.<\/p>\n

History<\/h2>\n

According to the heritage catalogue of Castilla-La Mancha, the remains found on the site point to a construction of the Islamic period. It would have been linked to the fortifications of Toledo and to the control of the Puente de Alc\u00e1ntara.<\/p>\n

Soon after taking Toledo from the Muslims, Alfonso VI chose this place opposite the bridge to found a monastery in 1088. He placed it under the patronage of the saints Servando and Germano, which is where the name comes from. Spain’s official tourism site explains that the building was turned into a fortress for the defence of the town because it stands so close to the Puente de Alc\u00e1ntara<\/a>. The same site calls it the castle of Bishop Tenorio, and the outer walls that survive are identified with the building raised at the end of the 14th century.<\/p>\n

The castle later passed through several hands, among them the Cathedral and the city of Toledo. The State bought it because of its state of abandonment and declared it a national monument in 1874. That did not end the neglect, which lasted until 1945.<\/p>\n

The 20th-century rebuilding<\/h2>\n

The castle was rebuilt between 1945 and 1958. The work respected the original layout. The outer perimeter that was still standing was kept, and the whole interior was built new. A school residence (colegio menor) was installed in it, which works as a hostel and university residence. A visitor therefore sees medieval walls and towers around a 20th-century interior.<\/p>\n

Architecture<\/h2>\n

The castle is built of masonry, with red brick on the upper part of the towers and of the walls on the south side. The main features are these:<\/p>\n