Ghosts Haunting The Castle of Loarre in Spain

The Castle of Loarre has more than one ghost. Perhaps you can spot the ghost of the abbess said to haunt the place, or perhaps of the traitor Count Don Julian. Or maybe it is the ghost of Violante de Luna that was exiled by the pope that you hear in the dead of the night?

Spain is a country with a rich history, and with that comes many tales of the supernatural. Some of the most intriguing ghost stories involve the beautiful castles that dot the Spanish countryside. These haunted castles have been the inspiration for countless legends and are guaranteed to send shivers down your spine.

Towering majestically atop a rugged hill in the heart of Spain, this medieval fortress holds secrets that have remained hidden for centuries. Ridley Scott was so impressed by The Castle of Loarre that he chose it as a location for his movie Kingdom of Heaven.

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories from Spain

From its origins as a strategic stronghold to its dark days of war and betrayal, the Castle of Loarre has witnessed it all, its walls echoing with the echoes of past tragedies.

Historical Significance of the Castle of Loarre

The Castle of Loarre, also known as Loarre Abbey Castle, is a remarkable architectural masterpiece that stands as a testament to the rich history of Spain and is a very well preserved castle in Huesca. It is also one of the oldest castles in Spain.

Built in the 11th century, it served as a strategic stronghold during the Reconquista, a period marked by the Christian kingdoms’ efforts to recapture the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. With its strategic location on a hill overlooking the surrounding plains, the castle provided a vantage point for surveillance and defense.

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The castle’s architecture is a marvel in itself, blending Romanesque and Moorish influences. Its imposing walls, constructed with large stone blocks, are a testament to the craftsmanship of the time. As you walk through the castle’s corridors and explore its towers, you can’t help but marvel at the intricate details carved into the stone, telling stories of battles fought and victories won.

The Castle of Loarre as an Abbey

Back in the day the Castle of Loarre was used as an abbey for nuns as a spiritual sanctuary, not a fortress for defense. It is from this time that the haunted rumors came from and the legend says the old abbey is haunted by an old abbess that appears on the night of San Juan.

Read More: Check out Wessobrunn Abbey’s Ghosts, Dracula and Ghost Nuns in Whitby Abbey or The Haunting of The House of Hohenzollern for more ghost stories involving nuns.

It is said that during a military conflict the abbey got caught in the middle and got to pay for it. The Abbess in charge was taken prisoner and locked up in the dungeons of the castle.

The Castle of Loarre has more than one ghost. Perhaps you can spot the ghost of the abbess said to haunt the place, or perhaps of the traitor Count Don Julian. Or maybe it is the ghost of Violante de Luna that was exiled by the pope that you hear in the dead of the night? — Castle of Loarre: The supposed haunted castle by night.

According to local lore, on the night of San Juan, the abbess makes her spectral appearance, wandering the halls and corridors in search of peace or perhaps retribution for past sins. This is said to happen on the night of San Juan.

San Juan’s, or St John’s, feast day falls on the 24th of June every year, but it’s on St John’s eve, the 23rd of June, that the celebrations take place.

Visitors to the castle have reported hearing her ghostly footsteps echoing through the empty chambers, accompanied by the flickering of candlelight that mysteriously appears and disappears.

The Ghost of Violante de Luna

Another version of this legend is that the ghost haunting The Castle of Loarre was a runaway abbess and not necessarily in charge of this place.

Her name was Violante de Luna living in the early 1400s in Spain where the pope had power throughout all of catholic Europe. She was the niece of Papa Luna, or Pope Benedict XIII and enjoyed the privileges it gave her. But little did she know the price for crossing him would be too high.

In her youth she took her cousin, Anton de Luna as her lover and she became pregnant. After her bastard son was born she entered the convent where she became abbess of the Trasobares convent and did quite well for herself. Perhaps she could have it all?

But then, rumor spread and the pope found out about this affair though and excommunicated them both and burned down her convent. They ran off to this very castle and lived together and it was said she led the siege that came to the castle as Anton had to go fight.

Because it was not only their life together that angered the pope, but also their involvement in the rebellion in defense of Jaime de Urgell’s candidacy for the Aragonese throne against Fernando de Antequera, a candidate who was finally elected in the Caspe Compromise. And the two lovers fell out of the popes grace in the middle of the feud.

Their time together was short in the castle as Anton had left for battle and Violante was captured by those chasing them when she lost the siege after three months. She was locked up for a few months in Sora, giving the impression to her jailers, due to her fierceness, that she was a woman “who had the devil in her body.”

What happened next to her is uncertain, some say that she was reunited with her lover in France, some say that she was buried in a monastery.

But all of the legends say that she is still haunting the castle she gave her all to protect. Some say she appears from time to time, walking through the castle as a ghost, standing in the queen’s balcony waiting for news from her beloved. Some say that she has a sword in her hand, still defending the castle from the enemies knocking on the doors.

The Haunted Legends and of Count Don Julian

Aside from the ghost abbess, the Castle of Loarre is steeped in other chilling legends and ghostly tales. One such story revolves around Count Don Julian, who is said to be buried within the castle walls.

There is also the version where Don Julian was buried at the entrance at the church as a traitor for having opened the gates and thereby giving free entry to the peninsula to the Moors to take over large parts of Spain.

During the battle of the Guadalete River in 711 there was a supposed betrayal by Don Julian that ended in defeat for the Visigothic King Don Rodrigo and the Arabs led by the warlords Tarik and Muza gained entry through the Strait of Gibraltar.
Count Don Julian’s beloved daughter Florinda was known as La Cava and they supposedly withdrew to this castle to regain strength. But according to the story, they were both captured and imprisoned in the fortress.

The daughter was so scared of what would happen next that she took her own life. She supposedly threw herself from a tower.
Don Julian was buried at the entrance to the church of San Pedro so that everyone would step on his grave as the traitor he was.
This version seems a bit of a stretch though as in the time of Don Julian the castle was not yet built. Even so, the legend is that every Tuesday you can see him walking along the battlements.

Legend has it that his spirit still wanders the castle, seeking revenge on those who wronged him. His tormented soul laments and yearns for the tragic end his daughter suffered.

Visitors claim to have seen a shadowy figure lurking in the corners of their vision, only to vanish when approached. Others have reported feeling an icy chill in certain rooms, as if the count’s vengeful spirit is still present.

Visit the Haunted Castle

So, if you ever find yourself in Spain, don’t miss the opportunity to visit this ancient castle. Step through its gates and immerse yourself in the haunted history that lies within. But be warned, the Castle of Loarre is not for the faint of heart. The spirits that linger within its walls may just leave you with an unforgettable experience that will send shivers down your spine.