What a place! Our new abode was built by monks on an ancient Roman site and is surrounded by vineyards (also established by the industrious monks). Relatives of the current owners were bankers from Southern Spain who bought the castle in the 1800s when the government was selling off state property to boost their coffers.

We were given a tour of the castle, which was incredible as many rooms were in their original condition. Many of the stain glass windows which contained religious figures were intact due to good luck only – when invaders overtook the castle, they didn’t destroy the windows in one particular room as that was their base and they wanted to be protected from the elements.

Also, it seems that when the family returned to the castle after the Spanish Civil War, it was packed with dynamite, ready to be ignited. The enemy occupant apparently took pity on them and didn’t blow up the castle!