The Castle of Cardona is a medieval fortress in Catalonia, Spain. Situated on a hill overlooking the river valley of the Cardener and the town of Cardona. The fortress was initially constructed by Wilfred the Hairy in 886; it is now a hotel belonging to the state-owned Paradores chain. During the 14th century, Wilfred's heirs and successors, the dukes of Cardona, came from the most important family related to the Crown of Aragon, second only to the royal house itself. Because of this, they were called kings without crowns, as they had extensive territories in Catalonia, Aragon, and Valencia, and dynastic ties with Castile, Portugal, Sicily, and Naples. This presumably increased the importance of the castle. In 1714, even after a Bourbon siege destroyed a good part of the castle's walls, the garrison was one of the last to surrender to the Bourbon troops which supported PhilipV.