La Mota Castle (San Sebastián)

La Mota Castle (Castillo de la Mota, Castillo de Santa Cruz de la Mota or Castillo del Santo Christo de la Mota) is an old fortress strategically located on the hilltop of Mount Urgull (Monte Orgullo), in San Sebastián, Spain. The city itself was built at the foot of Mount Urgull, a hill (mota) at the end of a peninsula. Apart from its location, the castle's primary defences were its thick walls (with access at three points, including to the keep, using drawbridges) and, over time, its integration with the city's overall fortifications. Official documents often refer only to the main buildings of the castle itself but sometimes also include the whole of Mount Urgull when referring to the castle. 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 first declared a monument of architectural and artistic interest in 1925, and since then has been subjected different levels of protection, the latest being declared a Monumento Históricoartístico de Carácter Nacional (national monument) in 1984.