The Alcázar is a majestic stone fortress located on a hilltop in Toledo, visible from any part of the city. Built as early as the 3rd century by the Romans as a palace fortress, the Alcázar is one of the city's oldest buildings with a rich and interesting history. In the 16th century, during the time of the Catholic Kings, under the reigns of Charles I and Philip II, the fortress was restored and renovated under the direction of the architect Alonso de Covarrubius. Since then it has been used as a royal residence. In 1521, within the walls of the Alcázar, King Charles I received Hernán Cortés after his conquest of the Aztecs.
During the Spanish Civil War, in September 1936, the Alcázar, led by Colonel José Moscardo Ituarte, resisted a siege by Republican troops. In an attempt to break the resistance of the besieged, the Republicans captured José Moscardo's son and, threatening him with execution, demanded that he surrender the Alcázar. The colonel refused, whereupon his son Luis was killed. The siege of the Alcázar caused many human casualties. For the inhabitants, these events became a symbol of Spanish nationalism. It was for this reason that the right-wing newspaper that began operations at the time was decided to be called El Alcazar.
The building of the fortress was severely damaged during this war. After the end of the war, the Alcázar was restored some time later and the building was restored to the appearance it had had under King Charles I. Today it houses the Army Museum and the Library, which belongs to the Autonomous Community of La Mancha.
