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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

La Mota Castle (Castillo de la Mota) is an old fortress in San Sebastian, Spain. The castle's primary defences were its thick walls, its strategic placement on the hilltop of Mount Urgull (Monte Orgullo), and its integration with the city's overall fortifications. 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 declared a Monumento Históricoartístico de Carácter Nacional (national monument) in 1984.

History

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 a mere 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.

The inner castle wall, designed by the Captain general of Guipúzcoa Sancho de Leyva, was completed around 1551.

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, 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 Monte Urgull itself.

Following the explosión of the magazine in 1688, due to it being struck by lightning, Hércules Torrelli reconstructed the castle keep.

Siege of San Sebastián (1719)

Having invested San Sebastian on 30 June, the French, under Duke of Berwick, began positioning batteries along the River Urumea where the city's walls were most vulnerable. While 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, the Spanish commander Alexandro 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 at last 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. The Spanish surrendered but were permitted to march out with the honours of war.

Jorge de 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

In 1756, Cermeño drew up plans for the fortifications at San Sebastian, including those of the Frente de Tierra (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.

Peninsular War

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

Fortifications at San Sebastian (early 19th century)

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 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 Rey, surrendered his garrison of some 1,300 troops, plus 450 wounded and the almost 350 Portuguese and British prisoners captured on previous assaults.

Barracks

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

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

References

1. ^ Sáez García, Juan Antonio (2020). Las fortificaciones del Monte Urgull (San Sebastián). Guia para perderse, pp. 57, 72, 112-113, 115, 132-140, 228, 232, 252-255. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
2. "Tiburzio Spannocchi". Diccionario Biográfico electrónico (DB~e). Real Academia de la Historia. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
3. ^ Echarri Iribarren, V. (2008). "Territorio y sistemas defensivos de frontera: El proyecto de Isidro Próspero Verboom para las fortificaciones de San Sebastián en 1726". Studia Historica: Historia Moderna, 40(1), 361–403. Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
4. Carrillo de Albornoz y Galbeño, Juan (2012). "La edad de oro de la fortificación abaluartada en España y ultramar". Revista de Historia Militar, p. 84. Instituto de Historia y Cultura Militar. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
5. ^ Fortescue, J. W. (1920). A History of the British Army, Vols. IX and X. 1813-1814, p. 225. MacMillan and Co. Ltd.
6. Oman, Charles (1922). A History of the Peninsular War, Vol. 6, September 1, 1812-August 5, 1813, pp. 562-3, Footnote 780. Project Gutenberg. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
7. Oman, Charles (1930). A History of the Peninsular War, Volume VII: August 1813 to April 14, 1814. Google Books. Retrieved 24 December 2024.

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