This fortress shows how ruthless and effective Edward I was in his castle-building campaign. Conwy Castle stands on the site of Aberconwy Monastery, which was demolished to make room for the fortification. Aberconwy housed the bones of Llywelyn the Great, a Welsh hero who had rallied his people against the English in the first half of the thirteenth century. By razing the monastery, Edward was able to eliminate a pilgrimage spot that could turn into a focus for Welsh nationalism.