2-370-610 - Samuel Magal/Sites & Photos/Heritage Images

The ceiling of the Galley Chamber (Sala de la Galera) in the Alcazar of Segovia, Segovia, Spain, 2007. Queen Catherine of Lancaster had this room built in 1412. It was given its name after the shape of the inverted hull of a ship that the moulded ceiling had before it was burnt down in the fire of 1862. The Alcazar of Segovia was originally built as an Arab fortress, probably in the 12th century. The majority of the current building was constructed during the Middle Ages and the palace was extended on a large scale. The Alcazar's profile resembles an imaginary ship rising above the confluence of the Eresma and Clamores Rivers. It is preceded by beautiful gardens with statues of Daoiz and Velarde, heroes of the War of Independence. The Old Town of Segovia was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.