The history and image of Manzanares El Real will always be linked to the Mendozas and their unmistakable castle, one of the "jewels" not only of Madrid's military architecture but of all the medieval architecture of the Kingdom of Castile. Built in 1475 on a Romanesque-Mudejar chapel in honor of Santa Maria de la Nava, the palace-fortress of the Mendoza family is today one of the best preserved in the Community of Madrid. It is the most emblematic of the region and the jewel of Madrid's fortifications. In it was signed in 1983 the Statute of Autonomy of the Community of Madrid.
The castle, of Elizabethan Gothic style, is an important example of the Castilian military architecture of the 15th century. Although it was initially created as a defensive fortress, it was quickly transformed into the residential palace of the Mendoza family. It has been restored several times and in 2005 the Community of Madrid, which currently manages the Castle, carried out improvement works to create an Interpretation Center and a new Audiovisual Room, where visitors can learn about the history of the castle in an interactive way. In addition, the permanent exhibition rooms were enlarged and the art collections were restored. Its most recent addition is the Renaissance Garden, completed in 2013.
