Noble Quarter

The manor house was the true residential and representative heart of the fortress during the castle’s period of greatest splendor, in the 15th and 16th centuries, when it belonged to the Mercader family. This area occupied the southern part of the complex and was organized into different stepped platforms, adapted to the shape of the rock.On the upper platform stood the main courtyard, dominated by the imposing Main Tower, the Gothic Palace, and the Renaissance Palace (now the Tourist Office), where the daily life of the counts took place. These buildings combined defensive functions with residential, representative, and service spaces.The Main Tower, located in the center of the complex, dominated the access bridge and the moat that separates the north and south enclosures. The uses of this tower would be varied: defensive, to control the
Plaza de Armas and the access bridge to the second enclosure, and of prestige for the ownership of the castle, since it housed the coat of arms of the counts and a system of supports for the placement of the noble standards.Beside it, the Gothic Palace, originally three stories high, was designed for comfort and representation. Its ground floor, known as the “Sala del Oscurico,” served as kitchen and storage areas, while the upper floors were demolished in the 20th century. Today, the space remains as an architectural vestige and venue for cultural activities.The Manor House of Buñol Castle is one of the most representative buildings within the fortress’s residential complex, forming part of the lords’ residence. Today, it houses the Buñol Tourist Information Office (Info Tourist) and the Buñol Museum Collection.On an intermediate level stood the Church of El Salvador and a side plaza, while the castle’s orchard, with its cistern and water system—essential elements for supply and daily life—extended across the lower platform. The entire complex was protected by walls, towers, and fortified gates, and connected to the Plaza de Armas by the central bridge and to the town through the South Tower.Over time, this area lost its noble residential function. Today, the stately grounds are a cultural and heritage site, housing the Tourist Office and the Museum Collection, keeping the castle alive as a place of history, visits, and community.