Castle of La Mota (San Sebastian)

Not to be confused with Castle of San Sebastián (Cádiz).

For the castle of the same name in Medina del Campo, Spain, see Castle of La Mota.

La Mota Castle
San Sebastian, in Spain
San Sebastian, with La Mota Castle on the hilltop of Mount Urgull, by Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg: Civitates Orbis Terrarum, Band 1, 1572. Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg
Site information
Owner	City Council of San Sebastián (since 1921)
Site history
In use	Late 11th century – 19th century
Events	Siege of San Sebastián (1719) Siege of San Sebastián (1813)

La Mota Castle (Castillo de la Mota, Castillo de Santa Cruz de la Mota or Castillo del Santo Christo de la Mota) is an old fortress in San Sebastian, Spain.

The castle's primary defences were its strategic placement on the hilltop of Mount Urgull (Monte Orgullo), its thick walls (with access at three points, including to the keep, using drawbridges) and, over time, its integration with the city's overall fortifications. Official documents often refer only to the main buildings of the castle itself but sometimes also include the whole of Mount Urgull when referring to the castle. Much of the current structure of the castle dates from between 1863 and 1866, and further restoration work was carried out in 1965.

The castle was first declared a monument of archtectural and artistic interest in 1925, and since then has been subjected different levels of protection, the latest being declared a Monumento Históricoartístico de Carácter Nacional (national monument) in 1984.

History

11th to 12th centuries

It is thought that the castle was originally constructed in 1194 by the King of Navarre, Sancho the Strong (1194–1234), over a simpler construction, possibly little more than a watchtower, built in the previous century by Sancho the Great of Navarra (1000-1035). In any case, it was included on the list of Navarran fortresses that were transferred to the King of Castile in 1200.

16th century

Ilustration by Joris Hoefnagel of San Sebastian in the mid 16th century. The ramparts proposed by the governor, Villaturiel, had been completed by 1554.

From the beginning of the 16th century, and throughout the first half of that century, there had been talk of greatly enlarging the castle to six bastions and five curtain walls.

In 1520, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, ordered the restoration of the ruined castle. The works were carried out according to the plans drawn up by Gabriele Tadino di Martinengo, recently appointed Capitán General de la Artillería de España y Aragón, in 1524. In 1526, a large semi-circular bastion, known as the "cubo de la Reina" ["the Queen's bastion"] (named after Joanna of Castile) was added to the south face of the "Macho", the keep. In 1535, another bastion was added to the castle and at the gate to the docks.

In 1541, the governor of the castle, Captain Francisco de Villaturiel, who had been sent there in 1535 to oversee the works, wrote that while a lot of money had been spent on the necessary fortifications, it made little sense that these were badly guarded and therefore requested 100 soldiers to defend the city and its castle. That same year, the captain general of Guipúzcoa, Sancho de Leyva reported that Villaturiel only had a garrison of ten troops at San Sebastián, with old artillery pieces and arquebuses without ammunition.

In 1542, Charles V ordered the construction of the "cubo Imperial" ("Imperial bastion"), probably projected by Luis Pizano, to replace the existing heart-shaped defensive structure to the town, and incorporated two bastions (Ingente and Gobernador) on either side of it, to make up what was known as the "frente real" ("royal front") to protect it from attacks coming from the south, or landward face.

In February 1546, Villaturiel himself, wrote to the Prince, the future King Philip II, proposing that the city walls be extended up to the castle and with ramparts extending to the east and west down the slopes as he was concerned that a possible disembarkation from the French ships that were patrolling those waters and if the invading force were able to reach the castle, the city itself would be lost. The sketch Villaturiel attached is one of the oldest known plans of the city.

The ramparts Villaturiel proposed were built between 1548 and 1554 and were just over four metres high and almost 1,5 metres thick. Villaturiel's proposal was approved by Leyva, who urged the King to accept it. Illustrations from the 18th century show that they had disappeared almost entirely by then. Leyva himself would design an improved curtain wall, completed around 1551.

Following the report by Juan Bautista Antonelli in 1574, Philip II commissioned Jacobo Palear Fratín to plan a large bastion (originally called Ingente, but later San Felipe), similar to that at Fuenterrabía; works were also carried out on the defences to the castle, including a large battery for six cannon from which to defend the port on the estuary of the River Urumea.

In 1595, the Italian engineer Tiburzio Spannocchi, having already worked on several other fortresses around the Iberian Peninsula, projected works on the fortifications in the north of the country, including those at San Sebastian, before being appointed, in 1601, chief engineer of all the kingdoms of Spain, in charge of all their fortresses. He projected a wall, known as the Spanocchi Wall, which was not completed at the time, to separate, from west to east, the port and the town from Mount Urgull itself. He also agreed with Fratín's recommendation to reinforce the defences to the castle itself rather than to the town and projected a citadel structure around La Mota. However, no drawings have been found for this.

17th century

Following the death of Spannocchi, his successor, Jerónimo de Soto, also projected, in 1610, a citadel around La Mota but, again, no information has been found to date regarding its structure.

During the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659), major works were carried out by Marco Antonio Gandolfo, Pedro Texeira and Jerónimo de Soto, with the latter again insisting on the impregnable nature of La Mota. The three engineers projected moving the front forward, with wide bastions below those of the existing Ingente and Gobernador bastions, a glacis, a large ravelin and a moat, as well as a second moat to separate the old front from the new extension.

In the early 1640s, having recommended against the enlargement of the castle itself as a citadel, due to the excessive costs involved, when it only needed more ramparts, Juan de Garay proposed major works to the town's defences instead and the following year, Diego de Isasi presented plans for a citadel to be constructed around Mount Urgull, between the castle and the town. That same year, Marco Antonio Gandolfo gave his favourable opinion and Garay presented a major project with all the previous proposals, including the citadel for the castle. However, the project was not adopted.

In the second half of the 17th century, several works were projected by Alonso de Cepeda, Francisco Domingo y Cueva, Octaviano Meni and Hércules Torelli, the latter also reconstructing the castle keep following the explosion of the magazine in 1688, due to it being struck by lightning. Following the destruction to much of the castle, fierce debate broke out as to the merits of simply restoring it or designing a new fortification at the top of the hill.

In 1693, work was concluded on one of the most important projects, the Mirador battery, on the east slope of Mount Urgull, to cover the approach from the sea and from La Zurriola beach.

18th century

Siege of San Sebastián (1719)

Main article: Siege of San Sebastián (1719)

Map of the city at the time of the siege in 1719

Having invested San Sebastian on 30 June, the French, under the Duke of Berwick, began positioning batteries along the Urumea where the city's walls were most vulnerable. Although heavy rain slowed the digging of trenches, by 25 July the French artillery was able to open fire on the walls. The siege guns rapidly created a breach and pounded it until it was practical to be stormed. As was the convention at the time, and following instructions given by Philip V's favourite, Alberoni, the Spanish commander Alejandro de la Motte requested a parley and his garrison were allowed to retreat into the castle, leaving the remainder of the city to French control.

Meanwhile, Berwick was able to establish batteries with a clearer range on the castle, and launched fresh bombardments of mortar fire which struck the magazine, and also destroyed the garrison's food provisions. Morale in the garrison rapidly declined, and their commander sought terms from Berwick, surrendering the town on 1 August 1719 and moving up into the castle, from which they made a sortie, to no avail, on 13 August, and capitulating some days later, on 17 August. The French artillery attack had been from the La Zurriola beach on the other side of the Urumea, and the Mirador battery had proved insufficient to repel the attack and had itself suffered major damage. Berwick's attack had left two major breaches: on the old wall between the rounded bastions of Amézqueta and Los Hornos, and a second breach between the latter bastion and that of El Gobernador, to the left of the "royal front", thereby creating a blind spot in the defences. When Berwick departed, he left behind a garrison of 2,000 French troops.

Jorge de Verboom

Main article: Jorge de Verboom, 1st Marquess of Verboom

In 1725, Verboom directed the projects for the fortification of San Sebastián, Pamplona and Fuenterrabía. He entrusted his son Isidro Próspero with drawing up the project for San Sebastián. As well as repairing the breaches from the siege of 1719, Isidro Verboom strengthened the defences at strategic points, and established a system of batteries at the top of Mount Urgull.

Juan Martín Cermeño

Main article: Juan Martín Cermeño

In 1756, Cermeño drew up plans for the fortifications at San Sebastian, including those of the Frente de Tierra (land-front, the stretch of sand and land between the town and Mount Urgull) and projected the defensive works for La Zurriola beach, between the estuary of the Urumea and Mount Ulia.

War of the Pyrenees (1793–1795)

Main article: War of the Pyrenees

In August 1794, French troops took San Sebasatian without resistance.

19th century

Fortifications at San Sebastian (early 19th century)

The city of San Sebastian, showing the castle at the top of Mount Urgull, before the British siege of 1813

Peninsular War

Main article: Peninsular War

On 5 March 1808, faced with an assault on the city by Marshal Bessières' Corps of Observation of the Pyrenees, the governor of San Sebastian, under orders from Madrid not to resist, surrendered.

Now with a French garrison of 2,218 men under General Thouvenot, the following July, Napoleon and his brother, the new King of Spain, José Bonaparte, entered San Sebastián, which would remain under French control until the British seige in 1813.

Siege of San Sebastian (7 July – 8 September 1813)

Main article: Siege of San Sebastian

The castle and its fortifications seen from the British batteries on Chofre Hill across the Urumea estuary (1813)

The defences at San Sebastian in 1813 were a combination of natural and man-made features, with the city's fortifications and La Mota castle on Monte Orgullo being distinct but interconnected defences. Thus, the city's location on a narrow peninsula provided some natural protection, with the estuary of the River Urumea to the east and to the west, "a tiny bay about sixteen hundred yards across at its broadest," further limiting access. Its man-made fortifications included a high wall, eight feet thick, with the bastion of St. Elmo at the north-eastern angle, and the two small towers of Los Hornos and Las Miguetas towards the southern end with a bastion in the centre, "covered by a hornwork, with the usual counterscarp, covered way and glacis; but these works were dominated throughout by the neighbouring heights [the hills of Igueldo and Orgullo] which were in range of cannon". The hornwork further strengthened the defences on the landward side. The bastions, projecting outward, allowed for flanking fire.

Monte Orgullo itself was protected from assault from the north by deep water and cliffs. Although the castle also had seaward-facing batteries, the landward battery of La Mota, together with two batteries to the right and left of it, "were able from their great elevation to sweep the isthmus from end to end", thereby providing artillery support to the city's defences, while the city walls helped protect the lower slopes of Monte Orgullo. On 8 September, sixty-one British guns and mortars began their bombardment of the castle defences and after two hours, in which all the defences had been levelled to the ground, the French governor, General Louis Emmanuel Rey, surrendered his garrison of some 1,300 troops, plus 450 wounded and the almost 350 Portuguese and British prisoners captured on previous assaults.

Mid-19th century

Lithograph of San Sebastian in 1843, by Eugène de Malbos (1811–1858), showing the castle at the top of Monte Orgullo as well as the fortifications below. (Bibliothèques de Toulouse.)

Between 1863 and 1866, the bombproof Santiago barracks, sleeping 200 men, plus sergeants and four officers, were built. They were partially demolished with the demilitarisation of Monte Urgull in 1921.

Spanish–American War (1898)

Main article: Spanish–American War

Due to the threat of a US naval attack during the Spanish–American War in 1898, works were carried out to reinforce the fortress.

External links

• "Plan of San Sebastian (1552)". Cartografía Antigua en el Archivo General de Simancas. Sociedad Instituto Geográfico Vasco "Andrés de Urdaneta" - Euskal Geografi Elkargoa (INGEBA).
• "Fortifications and port of San Sebastian (c. 1641)". Cartografía Antigua en el Archivo General de Simancas. Sociedad Instituto Geográfico Vasco "Andrés de Urdaneta" - Euskal Geografi Elkargoa (INGEBA).
• "Castillo de la Mota (c. 1683)". Cartografía Antigua en el Archivo General de Simancas. Sociedad Instituto Geográfico Vasco "Andrés de Urdaneta" - Euskal Geografi Elkargoa (INGEBA).
• "Plan of [Santo Christo] de la Mota Castle (1762)". Cartografía Antigua en el Archivo General de Simancas. Sociedad Instituto Geográfico Vasco "Andrés de Urdaneta" - Euskal Geografi Elkargoa (INGEBA).
• "Plan of San Sebastian and Santa Cruz de la Mota Castle (1782)". Cartografía Antigua en el Archivo General de Simancas. Sociedad Instituto Geográfico Vasco "Andrés de Urdaneta" - Euskal Geografi Elkargoa (INGEBA).