The Neuschwanstein nostrat

Don't worry, I'll give you a few seconds to look up what Neuschwanstein is...

Now you know that it's the name of one of the most famous castles in the world. They even say that this construction inspired Walt Disney to make the Sleeping Beauty castle in his theme parks.

But today we won't go to the Bavarian castle. We want to get closer to a castle that did have defensive and geostrategic functions, as well as representative and intimidating ones, like those lacking in the castle of Ludwig II of Bavaria. We want to get closer to the impregnable Miravet Castle.

The fort complex was headquarters of one of the most important Catalan orders of the Knights Templar in the entire Crown of Aragon. It responds to a model of military construction created in the Holy Land and spread throughout much of the West by the Knights Templar. Miravet is considered one of the best examples of Templar military architecture in the world. But the Templars weren't the only ones to discover this spot: Iberians, Romans, Muslims... Everyone has passed through Miravet, and everyone has passed through the Ebro.

The natural environment obviously helps! The meander created by the river at the site where the castle stands and the more than 100 meters above its waters help even more. But the construction is indeed human-made.

With a moat and walls more than 25 meters high, the path to the castle is still winding and overwhelming. Inside the enclosed area, in addition to the typical castle rooms, we find the stables, the treasury tower, various chambers, a wine cellar, and everything related to the community life of its inhabitants.

It's worth remembering that the Order of the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon shared aspects of military and religious life. Which added elements to the ensemble such as a larger than usual chapel and rooms dedicated to monastic duties.

Miravet Castle survived the Templars, the Hospitallers, and the military who inhabited it over time. One of the best images of this survival of our heritage was offered to us by Joaquim Mir in a pair of his paintings entitled Ebro Fantasy.

We don't need any more proof to return to our Neuschwanstein.