Castillo de Belmonte hosts wedding receptions and private celebrations for up to 280 guests seated indoors and up to 700 seated in its main courtyard. The castle stands in Belmonte, in the province of Cuenca in Castilla-La Mancha, a little over an hour from Madrid. Events take place in the rooms of the palace wings and in the open courtyards of a fifteenth-century fortress. A catering service with more than 50 years of experience and a team that helps plan the day are part of the offer.
Seminars and company events
The official site presents the castle as a setting for any kind of activity or celebration, but it publishes capacities only under its wedding offer. Companies planning a dinner, a reception or a presentation can use the same spaces, and should ask the castle which rooms are available for a corporate format, what equipment is installed and what the group size limits are. The figures below are the seated capacities the castle gives for celebrations.
Weddings and receptions
The castle sells its spaces for weddings and offers a team that organizes the celebration and adapts it to each couple. Guests can be received in the courtyard, seated for dinner in the palace rooms, or gathered for a cocktail on the terrace strip between the artillery barrier and the main body of the castle, called the Liza. That outer space is for cocktails only, up to 300 people.
Rooms and capacities
The South Wing of the palace, on the first floor, seats 280 people in total. It links three rooms through Gothic doorways. The Salón de Gobierno is where the Marquis of Villena once received the Catholic Monarchs. The Salón de Embajadores is covered by a large Gothic-Mudéjar dome. The Salón de las Chimeneas is a long room with fireplaces that are lit in winter and with views over the parade ground.
The North Wing has two levels. On the first floor, the Salón del Estrado and the Salón de la Galería seat 100 people in total. The second floor, which holds the residence of Empress Eugenia de Montijo, also seats 100.
Outdoors, the Patio de Armas and its adjoining galleries seat 700. The Liza takes 300 standing for a cocktail.
Catering
The castle works with a catering service that has more than 50 years of experience. Menus, service and the number of courses are agreed with the castle when the date is set. The site does not list menu formats, so organizers should ask what is included.
History and setting
Juan Pacheco, first Marquis of Villena, ordered the castle built in 1456. The Catholic Monarchs stayed here in 1488. In 1857 Eugenia de Montijo, later Empress of France and lady of Belmonte, had it restored. Scenes of the film El Cid were shot here in 1961. After a full restoration agreed between the House of Peñaranda and Montijo, the town council and public bodies, the castle reopened to the public in July 2010. It is also a visitor attraction by day, so organizers should confirm the hours during which the event spaces are closed to visitors.
Getting there
Belmonte lies on the N-420 road between Cuenca and Alcázar de San Juan, at kilometer point 342. The castle address is Calle de Eugenia Montijo, without number, 16640 Belmonte, Cuenca. Madrid is a little more than an hour away by road, according to the castle.
