political and military education. On 6 March 1862, another fire occurred at the castle, destroying the sumptuous ceilings of the private rooms that were reserved exclusively for the nobility. As demonstrated in the engravings by José María Avrial and Flores in 1839, the structures were restored to their previous appearances. It was only in 1882 that the damaged roofs of the building were slowly restored to their original state, thanks to the existence of engravings made by José María Avrial in 1839. In 1896, King Alfonso XIII ordered the Alcázar to be handed over to the Ministry of War as a military college. The Board of Trustees of the Alcázar of Segovia was created by the Decree of the Presidency of the Government, on 18 January 1951. The purpose of this was to ensure cultural, artistic, and historical preservation of the Alcázar’s triple function as a royal castle, military precinct, and military academy. Description The exterior of the castle has a Herrerian style courtyard, moat, drawbridge, and keep. The interior rooms include a chapel and several noble rooms (cuartos del Trono, de la Galera, de las Piñas, de los Reyes and others) that can be visited today. A triumphal arch, located on the corner of the south-east part of the palace, just beyond the moat, was likely ornamented with heraldic devices and served as a grand entrance to the alcázar. However, today it no longer survives. It was changed during the Habsburgs sometime during the 16th century. The castle sits on a hill overlooking the city, with four towers, and several halls that are constructed with barrel vaults and twin windows. In the interior, the halls and rooms were decorated with great luxury and beauty by Mudéjar painters and artists. Currently, it houses an Armory Museum and the General Military Archive of Segovia, the oldest historical archive of the Spanish Armed Forces. Tower of John II of Castile The tower of King John II of Castile (r. 1406–1454) was built during the first half of the 15th century. The style is notably recognized as Spanish Gothic architecture, with influences from Islamic art, such as a horseshoe arch found during renovations in the souther-side of the tower. The tower culminates in a large panoramic terrace with two pointed arches of varying heights built into the walls of the eastern and western portions of the tower. On the east-side of the tower,