Castles and Fortresses of Portugal

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Castelo e muralhas de Lagos (Lagos Castle and City Walls)




History
The city of Lagos has a very ancient history, with the first settlement in the area being the castro or fortified city of Lacóbriga, founded around 1899 BC, by the Conian people. The main site identified by archaeologists for the location of Lacóbriga is Monte Molião, where remains were found from prehistory to Roman rule. In the Lagos area, traces of Phoenician and Greek peoples were found. The town was conquered by the Carthaginians, who changed its location in the middle of the first millennium BC, to the site of the modern city of Lagos. The new settlement received, for its defense, a quadrangular wall.

The city was conquered by Roman forces in the 1st century BC, and at that time its name was changed to Lacobrica. Roman rule of Lusitania lasted until the middle of the first millennium, ending with the invasions of people from the East, first the Alans and then the Visigoths.

At the time of the Reconquista, it was initially conquered by the forces of King Sancho I (r. 1185–1211) in 1189. It was retaken in 1191 by the forces of the Almohad Caliphate under the command of Caliph Iacube Almançor (r. 1184–1199) and remained under Moorish control until its reconquest between 1241 and 1249. The Muslim inhabitants fled to North Africa, however, they destroyed the buildings in Lagos before leaving. Although the reconquest had ended, the Muslims continued the war across the ocean, frequently attacking Lagos and other maritime settlements in the Algarve.

In the same way that we do not have reliable information about the architectural evolution of defenses under Muslim rule, the same occurs for the first centuries of Christian rule. It is known that the works began under the reign of D. Afonso III (1248-1279), continuing during the time of D. Dinis (1279-1325) and D. Afonso IV (1325-1357). D. Afonso IV ordered the construction of a belt of walls around the city, which covered the area between Porta da Vila, the future Church of Santo António, the castle and Porta de São Gonçalo. A letter from 1332 from D. Afonso IV states that the walls had yet to be completed, which at that time extended from the Church of Santa Maria to the prison, on the edge of the town.

Reports have survived of the continuation of work during the period of D. Fernando (1367-1383). The last of these reports was issued during the Hundred Years' War, probably as part of a campaign to modernize defenses.

From here:

1415 - the Portuguese expedition to conquer Ceuta, in North Africa;
1419 – vessels for the discovery of Madeira Island;
1427 – vessels for the discovery of the Azores Archipelago;
1434 – Gil Eanes' vessel rounded Cape Bojador, on the west African coast;
1458 and 1472 – the expeditions of D. Afonso V (1438-1481) to conquer Alcácer-Ceguer, Arzila and Tangier in North Africa.

After the Philippine Dominion, the city of Lagos began a period of decline, which had negative effects on the defensive apparatus, whose work began to mainly involve reinforcing existing structures, although some new forts were built on the coast.

Subsequently, the city and its defenses would be severely affected by the tsunami that devastated the Algarve coast as a result of the 1755 earthquake. The resulting destruction was such that the civil and military governments were transferred to Tavira, which was less affected. At the end of the century, the city center was transferred from the old Praça de Armas (currently Praça Infante D. Henrique) to Praça do Cano (currently Praça Gil Eanes) (1798).

The 1755 earthquake devastated a large part of the city of Lagos, including the Castle, which was never rebuilt. Reports from the time say that the waters of the ocean rose to the height of the walls, which were completely destroyed in the parts where they hit.

In the second half of the 19th century, the city experienced a surge of expansion, with the installation of fish canning industries. During this phase, the Porta de Portugal and Porta dos Quartos were widened, as well as a fountain was erected in the Baluarte da Porta Nova (1863) and, subsequently, Porta do Postigo, Porta do Cais and Porta Nova (1888) were widened.

In the 20th century, Lagos was one of the main cities covered by the Centenary Celebrations program, having undergone major renovation works, including the restoration of the walls and their unblocking through the demolition of annex buildings, and the construction of an avenue that delineated the urban limits on the coastline. On August 7, 1960, Avenida dos Descobrimentos was inaugurated, as part of a large party in the city of Lagos, with the presence of Admiral Américo Tomás and the Brazilian president, Juscelino Kubitschek, who visited the Lagos castle.

From the second half of the 1950s onwards, the public authorities, through the General Directorate of Buildings and National Monuments, with a view to celebrating the Centenaries, carried out a broad intervention in the built heritage of Lagos, demolishing buildings attached to the old walls and bastions, rebuilding the Palace of Governors, rebuilding sections of walls and opening the Avenida das Descobertas, on landfill that increased protection between the city and the sea.

https://www.castelosdeportugal.pt/castelos/Castelos%28pre%29SECXII/lagos.html

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Castelo de Pombal (Pombal Castle)




History
The earliest human occupation of the site dates back to a Roman fortification, later occupied by Muslims, according to archaeological evidence recovered on the castle hill. It is also necessary to consider the local tradition that the primitive church of São Pedro, now demolished, was built by the Goths.

In 1128, Pombal Castle was donated to the Order of the Temple, to which Afonso Henriques assigned the defense of the city of Coimbra, then capital of the kingdom. This donation proves that the location already had, at that time, a high military value, probably because it had been a fortified point in the immediately preceding centuries, in which this portion of territory had been disputed by Christians and Muslims.

Although the precise date of construction of the castle is unknown, scholars admit that it occurred together with others, at the time of the Christian Reconquista, in the 12th century, during the reign of D. Afonso Henriques (1112-1185), in a period between 1159, date of the Foral da Redinha - which includes a clause to pay the lease like that of the lands of Pombal ("per forum terrae palumbarii") -, and 1171 ("era of 1209"), according to the epigraphic inscription of that date in Almourol, which refers to the construction of a series of castles, including Pombal, by Gualdim Pais, (son of Paio Ramires) then Master of the Templar Order in Portugal. Effectively, Pombal Castle follows the same architectural lines characteristic of the Templars, present not only in Almourol, but also in those of Idanha, Monsanto, Tomar and Zêzere, its contemporaries. The function of this group was to provide the defense and settlement of these lands, south of the Mondego River, entrusted to the Order. Gualdim Pais himself granted a charter to Pombal, in 1174, a village that developed on the southern slope of the castle hill, where the main gate and the churches of Santa Maria do Castelo and São Pedro were located, the latter now demolished.

Although historically it was not directly involved in major campaigns, it was on alert during the Muslim counter-offensive that, in 1171, attacked Santarém and, crossing the Alto Alentejo region, devastated Coruche and Abrantes (1179), and that of 1184, which again it targeted Santarém, and in 1190, which attacked Tomar and razed Leiria.

Under the reign of D. Dinis (1279-1325), faced with the extinction of the Templar Order by the Pope (1311-1312), the sovereign transferred the Order's assets in the country to the Order of Christ (1317). Pombal and its castle were the scene of peace between the sovereign and his son D. Afonso, celebrated in the Church of São Martinho (1323).

In the context of the crisis of 1383-1385, Pombal and its castle maintained the party of the Master of Avis. During the invasion of 1385, Castile troops moved from Coimbra to Soure, camped in Pombal on the 10th of August, on the way to Lisbon, opting for the route to Leiria, where the battle of Aljubarrota would take place.

Under the reign of D. João I (1385-1433), at the beginning of the 15th century, the main mayor of the town and its castle were donated by the sovereign to the Count of Castelo Melhor, in whose family it remained until 1834.

When D. Manuel I (1495-1521) visited the town and its castle (1509), he ordered the reconstruction of the old medieval tower. Subsequently, when the New Charter was passed to the town (June 1, 1512), other improvements must have taken place, as evidenced by the Manueline coat of arms inscribed over the main gate.

In the 17th century, the Count of Castelo Melhor renovated the old castle, adapting it to a stately residence.

At the beginning of the 19th century, at the time of the Peninsular War, it was a victim of the looting and burning of the town, inflicted by Napoleon's troops, under the command of General André Massena, who were returning, defeated, from the Linhas de Torres (1811). At the time, the originals of the charters granted to the town were lost, being consumed with the Town Hall building.

Later abandoned, it came to ruin, which covered it with extensive scrubland.

In the 20th century, it was classified as a National Monument, by Decree published on June 23, 1910.

https://www.castelosdeportugal.pt/castelos/CastelosSECXII/pombal.html

































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Castelo de Alcácer do Sal (Alcácer do Sal Castle)



History
The primitive human occupation of the site dates back to prehistory (Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Bronze Age periods), according to archaeological evidence. Later, it experienced the Phoenician presence, when it was called Bevipo, and Roman rule. The town minted its own currency in the middle of the 1st century BC, with the inscription Imperatoria Salacia, dating from that time, according to some authors, the change of the name of the town to Salacia, when it controlled the route that communicated the Tagus river estuary with the region of Alentejo and Algarve. After the barbarian invasions, the town was, in turn, occupied by Muslims since 715, who reinforced its defenses, becoming one of the main ports on the Atlantic coast south of the Tagus. It is said that, in 966, a fleet of Normans entered the mouth of the Sado to Alcácer do Sal, having given up the usual raid in view of its defense.

At the time of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the same year as the conquest of Lisbon from the Moors (1147), Alcácer do Sal was attacked by D. Afonso Henriques (1112-1185) at the head of a reduced assault force of 60 knights who, intending to exploit the element of surprise, they were vigorously repelled by the defenders, who managed to injure the sovereign. The region still resisted the Portuguese attacks for a few years, particularly in 1151, 1152 and 1157, only falling in 1158, with the help of the knights of the Order of Santiago da Espada.

For better defense and settlement of the region, Sancho I of Portugal (1185-1211) donated this village and its castle to that Military Order (1186). However, still during the reign of that sovereign, the forces of the Almohad Caliphate under the command of the caliph Iacube Almançor reconquered the Algarve and, advancing to the north, wrested from Portuguese rule, successively, the Castle of Alcácer do Sal, the Castle of Palmela and the Almada Castle (1190-1191). Only after the Battle of Navas de Tolosa (1212), in which there was a decisive victory for peninsular Christians against the Moors, were the lost lands beyond the border line that stretched from the Tagus River to Évora reconquered.

Alcácer do Sal and its castle were only definitively conquered during the reign of Afonso II of Portugal (1211-1223) by a group of Portuguese forces, coordinated by the bishop of Lisbon, Soeiro Viegas, and by a fleet of crusaders under the command of Guilherme I. , count of Holland, on October 18, 1217, after a siege of more than two months. After the conquest, this sovereign confirmed the previous donation of D. Sancho I of the domains of Alcácer do Sal, Almada, Arruda and Palmela, to the Order of Santiago, a donation later confirmed by D. Afonso III (1248-1279) in the person of Master D. Paio Peres Correia and the commander (February 24, 1255).

In the 13th century, D. Dinis (1279-1325), as part of the remodeling of the country's defenses, expanded and reinforced the defenses of this town. In the context of the crisis of 1383-1385, the town and its castle sided with the master of Avis, having stationed troops under the command of the constable D. Nuno Álvares Pereira.

During the succession crisis of 1580, the defenses of Alcácer do Sal, unprepared for artillery fire, did not offer serious resistance to the troops of Philip II of Spain (1580). The castle housed the Carmelite Araceli Convent, which remained there until 1834.

Without function, the old medieval castle was progressively consumed by time and abandonment. Classified as a National Monument by Decree published on June 23, 1910, it underwent consolidation and restoration interventions, in our days, under the responsibility of the General Directorate of National Buildings and Monuments (DGEMN).

https://www.castelosdeportugal.pt/castelos/CastelosSECXII/alcacerSal.html

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Castelo de Loulé (Loulé Castle)



History
The primitive human occupation of the Loulé site dates back to prehistoric times, according to archaeological evidence.

During antiquity, contacts between the people of the region intensified with Phoenician and Carthaginian navigators, who founded the first trading posts on the municipality's seafront (Carteia), increasing fishing and commercial activity, in addition to metal prospecting. From the period of the Roman Invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, testimony came to us of a votive altar reused in the tower of the main church.

From the 8th century onwards, with the Muslim Invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, Al'-Ulyã was formed, referred to, on the eve of the Christian Reconquest, in the chronicles of Ibne Said and Abd Aluhaid, as a small fortified and prosperous almedina, belonging to the Kingdom of Niebla, under the command of Taifa Ibne Mafom. What remains of this Almohad structure is the albarrã tower, made of rammed earth (Torre da Vela).

In 1249, on Saint Clement's day, the forces of D. Afonso III (1248-1279) conquered the town with the help of the knights of the Order of Santiago, under the command of Master D. Paio Peres Correia. Elevated to the seat of Municipality by the charter of 1266, D. Dinis donated the town and its domains to the Order of Santiago (1280), later providing it with a large fair, lasting fifteen days, in the month of September (1291).

In the context of the crisis of 1383-1385, the town also faced difficulties, according to the testimony of Chamberlain-Major João Afonso, according to whom Loulé was quite depopulated, its castle was empty of walls and inside there were many slums (Actas de Vereação, 1385). He also reports that the news was circulating in the Municipality that Castile forces were preparing to enter Portugal. Given the seriousness of the information and to prevent a possible attack, the Council decided to repair the tower that topped the Porta de Faro and raise the walls and battlements on the southern flank of the town's fence. Sensitive to this state of affairs, D. João I (1385-1433) granted special privileges to the population at the edge of the town to live inside the Cerca and donated the slum in front of the Church of São Clemente, for the construction of a churchyard.

With the cycle of Portuguese Discoveries, the Algarve region experienced a new burst of economic growth, from which Loulé also benefited, exporting wine, olive oil, fruits, dried fish and salt. Thanks to these resources, from 1422 onwards, the castle walls were rebuilt by D. Henrique de Meneses, 1st Count of Loulé.

During the Philippine Dynasty, in the survey of the Algarve defenses carried out between the years 1617-1618 by the military engineer and Neapolitan architect Alexandre Massai, the Castle of Loulé appears to have the majority of its mud walls damaged and collapsed (Description of the Kingdom of Algarve...1621).

After the Restoration of independence, given the evolution of artillery, the Castle lost its defensive value. In this way, urban growth gradually absorbed the old walls, a process that accelerated following the damage caused by the 1755 earthquake, which destroyed most of the town. The castle's towers collapsed, as did large sections of the wall. The reconstruction of the urban fabric privileged the residential sectors, where mansions and mansions began to stand out.

In the 19th century, areas adjacent to the Castle walls were subdivided and occupied for residential and commercial purposes, of which some sections were demolished.

The remains of the castle are listed as a National Monument by Decree published on June 28, 1924.

After conservation and restoration work carried out in the 20th century, the complex inside the castle is used as an archaeological museum and as a municipal library.

https://www.castelosdeportugal.pt/castelos/Castelos(pre)SECXII/loule.html

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Castelo e muralhas de Castelo Rodrigo (Castelo Rodrigo Castle and Town Walls)




History
Although tradition mentions that the primitive foundation of Castelo Rodrigo is linked to the Túrdulos, around 500 BC, later maintained as an opium by the Romans, recent archaeological research does not authorize these assumptions. Likewise, there is no more concrete data on a later occupation by the Suevi or Visigoths. From Muslim times, although there is no further information, there remains a cistern with a horseshoe arched door, in the current Rua da Cadeia.

At the time of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the town was conquered by Afonso IX de Leão (1188-1230). This sovereign built the original castle, which was part of the defensive line that he then established in Ribacôa, together with Castelo de Alfaiates, Castelo de Almeida, Castelo Bom and Castelo Melhor.
This defense should have been completed or at a very advanced stage in 1209, when the Perfect Municipality of Castelo Rodrigo was created and the village received its first charter. The toponym comes from the name of the lord of his domains, Count Rodrigo Gonçalves Girão, responsible for the repopulation and defense of the region at the time.

The territory of Ribacôa was disputed from the kingdom of Leão by D. Dinis (1279-1325) at the end of the 13th century, with its definitive possession for Portugal being assured by the Treaty of Alcanices (12 September 1297). The Portuguese sovereign, from then on, sought to consolidate its borders, having Castelo de Alfaiates, Castelo de Almeida, Castelo Bom, Castelo Melhor, Castelo Mendo, Castelo Rodrigo, Castelo de Pinhel, Castelo de Sabugal and Castelo de Vilar Maior.

The town of Castelo Rodrigo had been conquered since 1296, with the sovereign confirming, in the same year, the charters passed by Afonso IX de Leão. Regarding its defense, the castle's keep, moats, cistern and barbican are attributed to D. Dinis. Likewise, the walls surrounding the town or, at least, extensive reconstruction work on them. Characteristic of this monarch's defense works was the construction of an imposing access gate, similar to what was carried out at Castelo de Pinhel and Castelo de Trancoso.

King D. Fernando granted the town Charter of Fair on May 23, 1373, believing that he also made some improvements to its defenses.

At the time of the crisis of 1383-1385, these defenses would have dissuaded the forces of the Master of Avis from attacking Castelo Rodrigo, whose mayor sided with D. Beatriz and her husband D. João I of Castile. As punishment, the village suffered the imposition of the inverted national shield on its coat of arms (on the front of the keep), being administratively subordinate to Pinhel. The sovereign also changed the date of the village fair (1386), which would have caused significant losses to the residents, who pleaded and obtained from the sovereign to change it, being insufficient, however, to stop the process of decay that was established.

Aiming to increase its settlement, D. Manuel I (1495-1521), granted it the New Charter (25 June 1508), at the same time that the monarch sent Mateus Fernandes and Álvaro Pires to assess the state of the defense. The castle is also featured by Duarte de Armas in his Book of Fortresses (c. 1509), in a dominant position over the town. It consisted of an internal crenellated wall, reinforced by towers, which led to the main gate flanked by two turrets. In the parade ground, to the northeast, the keep can be seen. The town's fence, also battlemented and reinforced by towers, was complemented to the north by a small barbican.

During the Philippine Dynasty, at the end of the 16th century, Philip II of Spain elevated the town to a county, with Councilor D. Cristóvão de Moura (1594) as its first holder, son of a former mayor of the town and key figure in its diplomacy during the succession crisis of 1580. Since 1590, he had built a palace in the place of the old fortress as his residence, surrounded by walls reinforced by cubes, decorated with a Gothic-style door. With the death of the sovereign, his successor elevated the county to a marquisate (1600), with its holder now bearing the title of 1st Marquis of Castelo Rodrigo. With the Restoration of Portuguese Independence, the palace, a symbol of Spanish oppression, was set on fire by the population, and is currently in ruins.

In the first years of the Restoration, it received care from the Governor of Arms of the Province of Beira, D. Álvaro de Abrantes, and, during the Restoration War, with a garrison of just 150 men resisted the siege imposed by Spanish troops (3,000 men) under the command of the Duke of Osuna, defeated by Pedro Jacques de Magalhães in the battle of Salgadela (July 7, 1664). Local tradition states that both the Duke and D. João de Austria only escaped with their lives, having disguised themselves as friars.

Later, in the context of the Seven Years' War, it was occupied by Spanish troops under the command of the Marquis of Soria (1762).

Having lost its military function, given the economic decline that set in, the town of Castelo Rodrigo saw the municipal seat move to neighboring Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, by Royal Charter of D. Maria II (1826-1828; 1834-1853), on June 25, 1836.

In the 20th century, it was listed as a National Monument by Decree published on July 4, 1922. Partially restored in the 1940s, it was only recently the subject of a global intervention program by public authorities.

https://www.castelosdeportugal.pt/castelos/CastelosSECXII/casteloRodrigo.html

























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Castelo de Arouce (Arouce Castle)





History
The exact date when a fortification was begun to protect the village of Arouce is unknown, although the first documented reference dates back to 943, in a contract between Zuleima Abaiud, a Mozarab, and Abbot Mestulio of the Lorvão Monastery, where the toponym Arauz is mentioned.

According to an ancient legend, during the Muslim occupation, the castle was erected by the emir (Arab leader) Arunce to protect his daughter Peralta and his treasures after he was defeated and expelled from Conimbriga.

The territory of Arouce, whose castle was already mentioned in the Charter of Miranda do Corvo (1136), was granted a charter by King Afonso Henriques in 1151.

It is accepted that the construction (or reconstruction) of Arouce Castle dates back to the second half of the 11th century, when the settlement was peacefully occupied by Count Sesnando Davides, governor of the Coimbra district, whose mandate was granted to him by Fernando Magno, the sovereign who had conquered Coimbra from the Moors in 1064, bringing the Christian Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula to the region of the Serra da Estrela and Serra da Lousã mountains.

Conquered by the Moors during the offensive of 1124, it was reoccupied and repaired by Teresa of León. With the independence of Portugal, it became part of the Mondego border line until 1147, when the forces of Afonso Henriques (1112-1185) conquered Santarém and Lisbon, extending it to the Tagus River. During this period, his wife, Queen Mafalda of Savoy, would spend the summer here with her court. In the Charter that this sovereign granted to Miranda do Corvo (1136), he alludes to the Castle of Arouce, which would receive its own charter in 1151. Later, in 1160, a new document refers to Lousã, distinct from Arouce, demonstrating that the ancient Roman settlement had been reoccupied with the pacification of the region, prospering to such an extent that it received a charter in 1207, during the reign of King Afonso II (1211-1223).

Sometime in the 14th century, the castle's keep was erected. During the reign of King Manuel I (1495-1521), Lousã received a New Charter (1513), from which time the medieval castle became known as Lousã Castle.

Lousã and its domains were under the lordship of the Dukes of Aveiro until 1759, when they passed to the Portuguese Crown. From then on, the action of the elements, the passage of centuries, and vandals seeking the legendary treasures of Arouce caused significant damage to the monument, even threatening to bring down the Keep.

It was listed as a National Monument by Decree published on June 23, 1910.

Public intervention began in 1925, and then again in 1939, when conservation and repair work was carried out by the General Directorate of National Buildings and Monuments. A more extensive campaign took place between 1942 and 1945, and other, more sporadic, works in the years 1950, 1956, 1964, 1971 and 1985. These works have brought us the monument in a good state of conservation, preserved in a forested landscape that recalls the beginnings of the nation.

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Castelo de Castro Laboreiro (Castro Laboreiro Castle)





History
The region has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times, as demonstrated by the abundant megalithic monuments on the plateau northeast of Castro Laboreiro.

Although there is not much historical information, the occupation of this site seems to be linked to the layout of the various Roman roads that had bridges here to cross the region's rivers (Barreiro stream, Laboreiro river, Cainheiras river, Porto Seco river, and others).

At the time of the Christian Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula, Alfonso III of León (848-910) granted the domain of Castro Laboreiro, in the first half of the 10th century, to Count Hermenegildo, grandfather of São Rosendo, for having defeated Vitiza, a local chief who had revolted. During the Count's rule, the existing fortified settlement (which gave it its name) was adapted into a castle, later returning to Muslim rule.

In 1141, Afonso Henriques (1112-1185) conquered the town of Castro Laboreiro, reinforcing its defenses (1145), which then became part of the border line of the Portuguese domains. Although the details of this defense are unknown, it was completed, according to an epigraphic inscription, during the reign of Sancho I (1185-1211). At the beginning of the reign of Afonso III, the castle was severely damaged by the invasion of troops from the Kingdom of León (1212).

A town and seat of a municipality between 1271 and 1855, Castro Laboreiro belonged to the County of Barcelos until 1834, as well as being a commandery of the Order of Christ since 1319. During the reign of Dinis (1279-1325), around 1290, its defenses were rebuilt, when they assumed their current form. Around this time, the governorships of Castro Laboreiro and Melgaço were united, under the control of the Gomes de Abreu family of Merufe. Later, during the reign of King Fernando (1367-1383), the sovereign granted this governorship to Estevão Anes Marinho.

In the 14th century, after the conquest of Melgaço, King João I (1385-1433) used Castro Laboreiro as a base to deter incursions by Castilian forces from Galicia.

The chief governor, Martim de Castro, was removed from his duties due to complaints from the town's inhabitants (1441).

At the beginning of the 16th century, the castle is depicted by Duarte de Armas in his Book of Fortresses (c. 1509), and the walls reinforced by five quadrangular towers can be seen. In the center, the keep, also quadrangular in plan, preceded by another building, with the cistern to the north. Isolated, on a lower level, is the village.

During the Portuguese Restoration War, Baltazar Pantoja conquered the castle by surprise, after four hours of battle (May 1666). Having left D. Pedro Esteves Ricarte as Governor of the Plaza, the latter surrendered to the 3rd Count of Prado, D. Francisco de Sousa.

Unguarded from 1715 onwards, between 1766 and 1778 it was used by the Count of Bobadela, Governor of Arms of the Province, to hold men and women who refused to present their children for military service. Around 400 people passed through this prison during that period.

In the context of the Peninsular War, it was garrisoned by troops and armed with four cannons (1801). With the return of peace, it was once again left unguarded, beginning its process of abandonment and ruin.

In the 20th century, it was listed as a National Monument by Decree published on March 27, 1944. Subsequently, in the 1970s, archaeological prospecting work was carried out, revealing evidence of occupation from the Early Middle Ages. Finally, between 1979 and 1981, a small intervention was undertaken to clean and consolidate the monument.

https://www.castelosdeportugal.pt/castelos/Castelos(pre)SECXII/castroLaboreiro.html

























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Castelo de Abrantes (Abrantes Castle)




History
Some authors believe that the site was occupied since prehistory by a fortified settlement, conquered during the Roman invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in 130 BC by the consul Decimus Junius Brutus, and later occupied by Visigoths and Muslims, arguing that the site constituted a crossroads of land routes, justifying its occupation and military garrison. Other authors, on the contrary, understand that the middle course of the Tagus River did not, strictly speaking, have any organization linked to the main peninsular powers until the 12th century.

At the time of the Christian Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula, in 1118 or 1148, the town was conquered from the Moors by the forces of Afonso Henriques (1112-1185), who ordered the reconstruction of its defenses. The defensive needs of the so-called Tagus Line increased the value of the site, during a period when the Order of the Templars was endowing the middle course of the river with an impressive defensive line, within which it was included. In this way, it resisted the siege of the Almohad Caliphate forces under the command of Abem Jacob, who had to retreat suffering heavy losses. In reward for this heroic feat, it received its Charter of Rights from the sovereign (1179).

Later, King Afonso III (1248-1279) made important improvements to its defenses, begun in 1250 and completed between 1300 and 1303, during the reign of King Dinis (1279-1325), notably the keep and the expansion of the walls. This monarch donated the town to his wife, Queen Isabel of Aragon, and from then on it became part of the patrimony of the queens of Portugal.

During the 1383-1385 crisis, it sided with the forces of the Master of Avis, and tradition holds that it was in this castle that the decision was made to fight the Castilian troops at Aljubarrota.

Under the reign of King Manuel I (1495-1521), the town received its new charter (1510).

In the second half of the 16th century, Abrantes Castle fell into decline, particularly during the Philippine Dynasty.

In the context of the Portuguese Restoration War, in the last quarter of the 17th century, King Peter II (1667-1706) ordered its reconstruction, transforming the town and its medieval castle into a modern fortified stronghold (Abrantes Fortress), in the Vauban style. To this end, the medieval walls were lowered and reinforced, with two demi-bastions added (1704). At the time, it was considered "the key to the Province of Estremadura".

In the 18th century, the castle's facilities were adapted for use as barracks, housing a regiment of the Royal Cavalry. Later, between 1792 and 1799, these facilities were expanded and occupied by the legion commanded by the Marquis of Alorna.

At the beginning of the 19th century, during the Peninsular War, the town endured the passage of Napoleonic troops on two occasions:

On November 22, 1807, it was occupied by troops under the command of General Jean-Andoche Junot, who was granted the title of Duke of Abrantes (March 1808);

In October 1810, it was reoccupied after the defeat of the troops under Marshal André Masséna at the Lines of Torres Vedras.

Subsequently, the castle facilities were deactivated as barracks, giving way to a military prison, resulting in alterations to the structures.

In the mid-20th century, the complex was classified as a Property of Public Interest by Decree of July 1957. At the end of the 1960s, consolidation and restoration works were undertaken on the castle walls, which extended until the beginning of the 1970s, highlighting the partial reconstruction of the old keep. Recently, starting in 2002, a comprehensive project for intervention and enhancement of the complex was formulated.

https://www.castelosdeportugal.pt/castelos/CastelosSECXII/abrantes.html





























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Castelo de Lanhoso (Lanhoso Castle)





History
The earliest human occupation of the hillside where the castle stands dates back to prehistory, during the Chalcolithic period, as attested by recent archaeological research. After the Roman invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, near the road that connected Bracara Augusta (present-day Braga), Aquae Flaviae (now Chaves) and Astorga south of the Cávado River, a military tower was erected here.

Built atop Monte do Pilar – the largest granite monolith in the country – isolated on the border of the Ave and Cávado river valleys, a 17th-century sanctuary was built within its walls, using the very stone of the ancient walls. Halfway up the slope, at its entrance, the remains of an ancient Romanized hill fort can be seen. Tradition holds that Countess Teresa of León, mother of Afonso Henriques (1112-1185), took refuge in this castle on two occasions.

Between the 10th and 11th centuries, the old Roman fortification was reduced to its foundations. Archbishop Pedro I of Braga (1071-1091), aiming at the advanced defense of the episcopal see of Braga, ordered the construction of the castle, as indicated by an epigraphic plaque on the ashlar (the oldest in a castle in Portugal), following the foundations and perimeter of the original fortification.

In this defense, Dona Teresa of León, widow of Count Henry (1093-1112) and mother of Afonso Henriques, took refuge when she was attacked by the forces of her half-sister, Queen Urraca of León. Here, surrounded by Urraca's troops (1121), Dona Teresa managed to negotiate an agreement – the Treaty of Lanhoso – thanks to which she saved the leadership of her county. Later, according to tradition, Dona Teresa returned there, detained by her own son after the Battle of São Mamede (1128), a claim disputed by modern historiography, which suggests that this lady actually died in Galicia (1130).

In any case, the castle's renovation, with the construction of the keep, dates from the late 12th and early 13th centuries. The castle was then what was called a "head of the land," reflecting its regional importance.

In this context, in the 13th century, the castle was the scene of a terrible crime of passion: its warden, D. Rui Gonçalves de Pereira, great-great-grandfather of the Constable D. Nuno Álvares Pereira, who was away from the castle, upon learning of his wife Inês Sanches's infidelity—she was in love with a friar from the Bouro monastery—returned and, locking the gates, ordered the alcazaba to be set on fire, thus causing the death of the unfaithful wife and her lover, as well as the servants, whom he implicated as accomplices for not having denounced the fact. Ancient accounts state that no one escaped the fire alive, not even the domestic animals.

Later, in 1264, the warden D. Godinho Fafez, great-grandson of Fafez Luz, lord of the domains of Lanhoso during the time of D. Afonso Henriques, appointed Mem Cravo as his successor. At the end of the century, already under the reign of King Dinis (1279-1325), this sovereign granted a charter to the town of Póvoa de Lanhoso (September 25, 1292), renewed under the reign of King Manuel I (1495-1521) (New Charter, January 4, 1514).

The castle was listed as a National Monument by Decree published on June 23, 1910. Public intervention began in 1938, when the General Directorate of National Buildings and Monuments (DGEMN) initiated consolidation and restoration works, including archaeological prospecting, cleaning, reconstruction of the two turrets flanking the entrance gate, the arch of that gate, the keep, sections of the walls, and also an access road to the castle and various improvements to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Pillar. New campaigns followed, by the same organization, in 1958-1959, in 1973 and in 1975-1976. More recently, the City Hall, with the support of the Adere-Lanhoso Association, carried out cleaning and consolidation work on the structures, as well as the remodeling of the tower's internal floors, when the castle was reopened to the public (1996).

Currently, in addition to the medieval castle, which offers a small exhibition with artifacts from the neighboring hill fort, visitors can also visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Pillar and the Lanhoso Hill Fort.

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Pilar
With the beginning of the Modern Age, and the consolidation of the kingdom's borders, the castle progressively lost its strategic importance, falling into abandonment and ruin. This process intensified from the end of the 17th century, when André da Silva Machado, a wealthy merchant from Porto, decided to erect a replica of the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Braga. To this end, he obtained permission to demolish the old castle and reuse the stone to build a sanctuary under the invocation of Our Lady of the Pillar (1680). Thus began the dismantling of part of the barbican and the walls, building a church, the staircase, and the pilgrimage chapels inside the enclosure: the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Pillar.

The works on the sanctuary were still ongoing in 1724, while Craesbeeck (Resurrected Memoirs of the Province of Entre Douro e Minho in the year 1726) describes the ruined state of the castle, a view corroborated by Rector Paulo Antunes Alonso (Parish Memoirs, 1758), who mentions that only the Keep remained, whose southwest corner was damaged by a lightning strike.

https://www.castelosdeportugal.pt/castelos/Castelos(pre)SECXII/lanhoso.html



































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Castelo de Elvas (Elvas Castle)





History
Archaeological surveys have revealed that the earliest human occupation of this site dates back to a Gallo-Celtic hill fort, which was used by the Romans who urbanized it from the 2nd century BC onwards, given that some of the roads crossing the south of the Iberian Peninsula were located there. The village was then known as Helvas. Some authors believe that a gate inside the castle, to which they attribute Roman construction characteristics, is evidence of this period.

Later, the settlement was occupied by Visigoths and, from 714, by Muslims who, naming it Ielbax, erected the first two rings of walls, vestiges of which remain to this day.

At the time of the Christian Reconquista of the Peninsula, it was initially taken by Christian forces under the command of Geraldo Sem Pavor (c. 1166), during the conquest of Juromenha. Retaken by the Moors, it returned to Portuguese hands in 1220, only to fall back into Moorish possession. Only in 1226 (1228 or 1229 according to other authors) did it definitively fall into Portuguese hands, during the reign of King Sancho II (1223-1248), who granted it a charter (May 1229) and ordered the reconstruction and reinforcement of its defenses. Some authors believe these works were completed as early as 1228.

Conflicts over the possession of this border spanned the reigns of:

King Dinis (1279-1325), who granted a charter to the town (1231) and expanded its defenses;

King Fernando (1367-1383), who added a third ring of walls, reinforced by towers;

King John II (1481-1495), who ordered the reconstruction of the Keep (1488) and other repairs, as indicated by this sovereign's coat of arms above the entrance gate; and King Manuel I (1495-1521), who elevated the town to the status of a city (1513).

Together, these sovereigns provided the town with a remarkable defensive system, which at the beginning of the 16th century boasted a triple ring of walls, twenty-two towers, eleven gates and a barbican, according to the design of Duarte de Armas (Book of Fortresses, c. 1509). These last two sovereigns were responsible for modernizing the castle to a bastioned system, with Renaissance lines, a period in which the residential function (governor's palace) became predominant.

During the Crisis of 1383-1385, the mayor of Elvas sided with Queen Beatrice and Castile. Meanwhile, the population, led by Gil Fernandes, attacked the castle and detained its mayor. Gil Fernandes swore allegiance to Portugal and King John I, provoking, in the summer of 1385, a twenty-five-day siege by Castilian forces, which the town resisted undefeated.

However, he could not do the same in the context of the Succession Crisis of 1580, when its mayor defected to the Spanish side, allegedly in exchange for gold, returning to Portuguese rule after the Restoration of Independence.

After the Restoration was proclaimed, the city's defenses were modernized, adapted to artillery fire. It thus received a new line of walls, with a polygonal bastioned layout, whose works would only be completed in the first decade of the 18th century. Transformed into a true fortress, it withstood the Spanish siege of 1658, allowing the Spanish to be defeated at the Battle of the Lines of Elvas (January 14, 1659).

Although these modern defenses of Elvas have reached us in a relatively good state of preservation, the same cannot be said of the medieval structures, where the effects of urban growth have taken their toll. The castle was the first property to be listed as a National Monument in the country, by Decree published on October 9, 1906.

https://www.castelosdeportugal.pt/castelos/CastelosSECXIII/elvas.html

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

I've met many Portuguese over the years that seem to want to live anywhere, but Portugal, and talk about their home towns as boring little places they can't wait to leave, then I look up their hometowns on google and get blown away by how charming and beautiful these places are with amazing buildings like these castles.

[ana]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

I've met many Portuguese over the years that seem to want to live anywhere, but Portugal, and talk about their home towns as boring little places they can't wait to leave, then I look up their hometowns on google and get blown away by how charming and beautiful these places are with amazing buildings like these castles.

Thank you for the compliment . But the reason why many Portuguese people emigrate to various parts of the world has mainly to do with the high cost of living and low wages, among other things like corruption, excessive bureaucracy, etc., etc.... Apart from that, it's not a bad country to live in.

[ana]

Castelo de Estremoz (Estremoz Castle)





History
There is no further information regarding the early human occupation of the site, although archaeological remains from the Roman period show a rustic village in Santa Vitória do Ameixial and the "Tanque dos Mouros" (Moorish Tank), a water storage and supply structure near the Mártires site, which was later occupied by the Muslims, who are believed to have fortified it.

During the Christian Reconquista of the peninsula, it was conquered at the same time and by the same forces with which Geraldo Sem Pavor took possession of neighboring Évora (1165). Having lost possession shortly afterwards, Estremoz was only definitively incorporated into Portuguese domains in the mid-13th century, during the reign of King Sancho II (1223-1248), when reconstruction work on the castle is believed to have begun. Under the reign of King Afonso III (1248-1279), aiming to increase its population and defense, this sovereign granted a charter to the town in 1258, ordering the reconstruction and reinforcement of its defenses, as well as the construction of the town walls. The erection of the Keep dates from this time, around 1260.

The construction work on the walls continued under the reign of King Dinis (1279-1325), the monarch who had the Royal Palace built next to the castle. Here, in the Palace, Queen Saint Isabel died (July 4, 1336), her body later being transferred to the Convent of Santa Clara-a-Velha in Coimbra. While still alive, she had prevented, here in Estremoz, an imminent clash between her son, King Afonso IV, and King Alfonso XI of Castile.

The Keep was completed during the reign of King Fernando of Portugal (1367-1383), around 1370. During the 1383-1385 crisis, the chief magistrate João Mendes de Vasconcelos sided with Castile. He was ordered by the population to leave the castle, which he handed over to the squire Martim Pires in the name of the Master of Avis. In 1384, the Constable Nuno Álvares Pereira established his headquarters here, from where the Portuguese forces under his command would set out to fight and defeat the Castilian army at the Battle of Atoleiros.

The town received its new charter (1512) from King Manuel I (1495-1521).

During the succession crisis of 1580, the Castle of Estremoz and its chief magistrate remained loyal to António, Prior of Crato. Meanwhile, Castilian troops under the command of the Duke of Alba invaded Portugal, besieging Estremoz, the only Alentejo town to resist. Faced with the disproportionate forces and the heavy consequences that could befall the town and its population, the mayor of Estremoz, Admiral D. João de Azevedo, surrendered and was imprisoned in the Castle of Vila Viçosa.

With the advent of the Restoration of Independence (1640), during the ensuing struggles, Estremoz once again served as headquarters for the Portuguese troops. Its detachments were decisive for the Portuguese victory at the Battle of the Lines of Elvas (1659), and the same was true at the Battle of Ameixial (1663) and the Battle of Montes Claros (1665), which brought an end to the Restoration War. To that end, a commission composed of the military engineers João Pascácio Cosmander, Rui Correia Lucas, and Jean Gillot was commissioned by the War Council of King John IV to inspect the Alentejo fortresses, promoting the necessary works therein (1642).

The defenses of Estremoz and its castle were modernized, under the design and guidance of Cosmander. After his death in 1648, Nicolau de Langres, with the assistance of Pierre de Saint-Colombe, was put in charge of the works (1662?), which included the construction of four bastions, two demi-bastions, and a ravelin, later reinforced by other bastioned lines, notably that of the so-called Lower Square.

Also during the Restoration period, and in gratitude for the Portuguese victories over the Spanish forces in the Alentejo, Queen Regent Luisa de Gusmão, mother of King Afonso VI, had the apartments where Queen Saint Isabel had died transformed into a chapel.

In the 18th century, fortification work continued, marked, from 1736 onwards, by the reconstruction of the old Royal Palace, repurposed to house the War Warehouses, with a design by António Carlos Andreis. Between 1738 and 1742, in the new and imposing Baroque-style building, King John V (1706-1750) founded the Arms Room, one of the most famous armory museums on the European continent at the time, and greatly improved the Chapel of Queen Saint Isabel.

In the 19th century, it aided Portuguese forces besieged in the Elvas fortress during the so-called War of the Oranges (1801), and was briefly occupied by French troops under the command of General Kellerman, who abandoned it on July 12, 1808, during the Peninsular War. A few decades later, during the Liberal Wars, Miguelist forces murdered 39 liberals who were being held in the dungeons of Estremoz.

Peace and urban development took their toll on Elvas' defenses, both those from the Middle Ages and those from the Restoration period. For example, a large section of the northern wall was demolished to make way for the railway station in the town center. On August 17, 1898, a violent explosion in one of the gunpowder magazines caused severe damage to the structure of the War Warehouses (former Royal Palace) and the medieval castle.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the castle complex, the town walls, the so-called Tower of the Breastplates, and the Chapel of Queen Saint Isabel were classified as a National Monument by decree published on June 23, 1910. However, public action only became apparent when a consolidation and conservation intervention was initiated by the DGEMN (Directorate-General for National Monuments and Buildings) in 1939. The same organization promoted roof repair work in 1961. A major intervention, however, took place between 1967 and 1988, aiming to requalify the War Warehouses (former Royal Palace) for use as a pousada (a type of historic hotel).

Currently, the monument serves a tourist function (Pousada da Rainha Santa Isabel), a cultural function (Drawing Gallery of the Estremoz Municipal Council, in the former Audience Chamber of King Dinis), and a religious function (Chapel of Saint Isabel).

https://www.castelosdeportugal.pt/castelos/CastelosSECXII/estremoz.html

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Castelo de Marvão e Vila fortificada (Marvão Castle and Fortified Village)





History
Little is known about the early human occupation of the site, possibly a prehistoric hill fort. At the time of the Roman invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, some authors argue that this was the Romanized settlement that the Lusitanians called Medóbriga, which, the object of dispute between the forces of Pompey and Julius Caesar, was conquered by the latter's troops under the command of the propraetor Gaius Longinus in the mid-1st century. Interest in the settlement stemmed mainly from its proximity to the Roman road that connected Cáceres to Santarém, near the bridge that crossed the Sever River (Ponte da Portagem).

Although there is no further information about the period of the Suebi, Visigoth, and Muslim invasions, between 876 and 877 Ibn Marwan settled there, and the place was already known in the 10th century as Ibn Marwan's Amaia or Amaia Fortress.

In the context of the conquest of Alcácer do Sal, King Afonso Henriques (1112-1185) is believed to have taken the town from the Moors between 1160 and 1166. When the boundaries of Castelo Branco were demarcated (1214), Marvão was already included in Portuguese territory. King Sancho II (1223-1248) granted it a Charter of Rights (1226), aiming to keep this advanced sentinel of the territory populated and defended against the repeated incursions from Castile at the time.

King Afonso III (1248-1279) donated the domains of Marvão to the Knights of the Order of Malta (1271), later granted to his son, Afonso Sanches, along with the lordships of Arronches, Castelo de Vide, and Portalegre. For this reason, at the beginning of the reign of King Dinis (1279-1325), the town and its castle became involved in the dispute between the sovereign and the Infante Afonso, eventually being conquered by the sovereign's forces in 1299. At the end of the dispute, the domains of Marvão, Portalegre, and Arronches were exchanged for those of Sintra and Ourém, with the former remaining in the sovereign's possession. He confirmed Marvão's charter of 1226 and undertook works to expand and reinforce its defenses, notably the construction of the keep, begun in 1300.

During the reign of King Fernando (1367-1383), a refuge for fugitives was established in Marvão (1378). After his death, with the outbreak of the 1383-1385 crisis, the town and its castle sided with the Master of Avis. The new sovereign and his successors granted several privileges to the town (1407, 1436, and 1497) with the aim of increasing its population and defense. During this period, reinforcements were also made to the walls, as evidenced by the presence of turrets dating from the 15th and 16th centuries.

When Portuguese independence was restored, in the context of the ensuing war, Marvão's defenses were remodeled, adapted to the artillery advances of the time. The first phase of these works took place between 1640 and 1662 when Abbot D. João Dama undertook the reconstruction of a section of the wall and barbicans that were in ruins, repaired the castle gates, and carried out other repairs necessary for the preservation and defense of the town. Still under construction, it suffered assaults by Spanish forces (1641 and 1648), actively battling with the neighboring town of Valencia de Alcántara, until the latter's conquest by the forces of D. António Luís de Meneses (1644). A report by Nicolau de Langres at the time informs that the Portuguese infantry and cavalry garrison in this fortification came from Castelo de Vide, with Marvão having about 400 inhabitants.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the Marvão fortress was conquered by the Spanish army (1704), only to be retaken by Portuguese troops under the command of the Count of São João (1705). A new Spanish assault on the town would be repeated decades later, in 1772.

In the 19th century, with the outbreak of the Peninsular War, it was occupied by French troops, liberating itself in 1808. Subsequently, during the Liberal Wars, in the episode known as the Patuleia War, it was occupied by liberal forces (12 of The castle was built in December 1833, and subsequently besieged by Miguelist troops the following year (1834).

The castle was declared a National Monument by decree published on July 4, 1922. Public intervention, initiated by the General Directorate of National Buildings and Monuments (DGEMN), began in 1938, in the form of repairs, renovations, reconstructions, pest control, cleaning, and painting, continuing to this day. Since then, with the support of the League of Friends of Marvão Castle and the Municipal Council, this heritage has been maintained in a good state of conservation. Guided tours of the archaeological armory within the castle grounds are offered to visitors.

https://www.castelosdeportugal.pt/castelos/CastelosSECXIII/marvao.html













































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Castelo de Longroiva (Longroiva Castle)




History
At the time of the Christian Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula, this settlement and its castle are listed among the domains bequeathed to the Monastery of Guimarães in a will by Flâmula Rodrigues, niece of Mumadona Dias (960). Scholars associate this donation with a repopulation effort initiated by the donor's father, Rodrigo Tedoniz, believing that the castle's original characteristics date back to this period.

After the definitive reconquest of the Beira region by Fernando Magno, the inventory of the assets of the Monastery of Guimarães in 1059 lists the Castle of Longroiva. These domains became part of the County of Portucale, and consequently, of the emancipated kingdom of Portugal. During this period, there was a significant surge in settlement in the region, attributed to D. Egas Gosendes de Baião, who is believed to have granted a charter to Longroiva in 1126, and later to Fernão Mendes de Bragança (husband of Infanta Sancha Henriques and therefore brother-in-law of D. Afonso Henriques), who is said to have donated these domains of Longroiva to the Order of the Templars (1145), with Master Hugo Martonio (or Hugo Martins, in Portuguese). It is to this Order, under the guidance of Master Gualdim Pais, that the castle's current appearance is attributed (1176).

D. Dinis (1279-1325) granted a charter to the town, and in 1304, ordered some repairs to be made to the castle. Also during his reign, following the extinction of the Order, the domains of the town and its castle were incorporated into the patrimony of the Order of Christ (1319).

During the reign of King Manuel I (1495-1521), a Visitation of 1505 allows us to learn some details about this monument at the time:
Its parade ground had been almost entirely taken over by the Palace of the Commander of the Order of Christ; and
in the keep, in the center of the parade ground, defended by a hoist (a wooden gallery that, at the top of the walls, allowed a vertical attack on the enemy), there was a window in the Manueline style, which has survived to this day.

This sovereign granted a New Charter to the town (1510). At this stage, Friar Garcia de Melo had works carried out where his apartments were located (1517), and information becomes scarce from then on, leading to the belief that it lost importance to the Castle of Trancoso.

In the 18th century, a description of the castle stated that, with regard to the "new" palace of the commander, its houses "were already roofless and in ruins," the cistern that supplied the garrison was clogged, and the castle gates, which had once defended access, no longer had any wooden bars or gates.

In the 19th century, the castle was transformed into a local quarry, its walls being dismantled for this purpose. In 1855, the Municipality of Longroiva was extinguished. During this period, probably after the extinction of religious orders (1834), its parade ground began to be used as the village cemetery, a function that continues to this day.

The castle was listed as a National Monument by Decree published on August 18, 1943. The intervention of the public authorities uncovered the old cisterns and carried out minor consolidation works on the ruins.

Currently, the entrance to the Templar house leading to the castle can be seen, but the rest of the structure is in a state of decay. The cemetery remains in the parade ground.

https://www.castelosdeportugal.pt/castelos/Castelos(pre)SECXII/longroiva.html

























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Castelo de Évora Monte (Évora Monte Castle)



History
It is believed that the earliest human occupation of this site dates back to prehistory.

Évora Monte Castle was built on one of the highest points of the Serra de Ossa mountain range, in the center of the village. It is estimated that its construction took place around 1160 after the Christian reconquest from the Moors.

At the time of the Christian Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula, the village was conquered from the Moors by Portuguese forces commanded by the legendary Geraldo Sem Pavor, around 1160, at which time the castle is believed to have begun.

Its defenses were restored by order of King Afonso III (1248-1279), who granted it its first charter (1248), renewed in 1271. These attempts at settlement, however, do not seem to have been successful, since his successor, King Dinis (1279-1325), ordered the fortification of the town (1306), of which the walls and gates have survived.

With the ascension of John, Master of Avis, to the throne, the Castle of Évora Monte and its domains passed into the possession of the Constable Nuno Álvares Pereira, later becoming part of the domains of the House of Braganza and the House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

At the beginning of the Modern Age, King Manuel I of Portugal (1495-1521) granted a new charter to the town (1516), initiating a new construction phase. The keep of the old castle was destroyed by the earthquake of 1531. The following year, under the direction of the chief magistrate, D. Teodósio de Bragança, it was rebuilt as a palace inspired by the Italian Renaissance, with the design attributed to the architects Diogo and Francisco de Arruda.

The town and its castle lost strategic importance over the centuries. The Convention of Evoramonte (May 26, 1834), ending the Liberal Wars, was signed here. Finally, on October 24, 1855, its municipality was definitively extinguished, and its former territory divided among the neighboring municipalities of Estremoz, Évora, Arraiolos, and Redondo.

The castle and the village walls were designated a National Monument by Decree published on June 23, 1910. Consolidation and restoration work began in the late 1930s and continued into the 1940s. Further intervention campaigns followed from 1971 to 1987, giving the monument its current appearance.

In 2021, its supervision ceased to be overseen by the Government and became the responsibility of the City Council.

https://www.castelosdeportugal.pt/castelos/CastelosSECXII/evoraMonte.html

















































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Castelo e Muralha Urbana de Montemor-o-Novo (Castle and Urban Wall of Montemor-o-Novo)





History
The earliest human occupation of this site possibly dates back to a prehistoric Romanized hill fort, according to abundant archaeological evidence in the region. Roman roads from Santarém and the mouth of the Tagus River, continuing through Évora to Mérida, met at this point. For this reason, the site would have been fortified.

Centuries later, during the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, the name Almançor remained in the region, in the toponymy of the Almansor River. Some authors claim that a Muslim fortification also existed here.

During the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the town was conquered by Portuguese forces under the command of King Sancho I (1185-1211). Aiming at its repopulation and defense, the sovereign granted it a charter in 1203. It is believed that the construction of the medieval castle began during this period.

During the reign of King Dinis (1279-1325), major reforms were initiated in the town's defenses, including the construction of the town walls, completed in 1365.

With the establishment of the Avis dynasty, the domain of Montemor-o-Novo became a third of the lordship of the Constable Nuno Álvares Pereira.

Throughout the 15th century, the castle underwent renovations, works overseen by the master stonemason Afonso Mendes de Oliveira. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the town reached its greatest prosperity, due not only to regional trade but also to the fact that the Court remained for long periods in Évora, which made the town the stage for events such as the Cortes of 1495, when King Manuel I (1495-1521) decided to proceed with the discovery of the sea route to India. This sovereign granted a new charter to the town in 1503. Later, during the reign of King Sebastian (1557-1578), it was granted the title of Notable Town (1563), considering it an ancient place with a large population.

In the context of the Portuguese Restoration War, the War Council of King John IV (1640-1656) ordered the rebuilding of its defenses.

When the 1755 earthquake occurred, with the area within the walls already quite degraded, it is believed that the effects of the earthquake contributed to accelerating the decay of the defenses. For this reason, the complex was repaired again in the 18th century.

During the Peninsular War, the garrison of the old medieval fortification resisted Napoleonic troops under Junot's command, with battles taking place near the so-called Lisbon Bridge (1808). A few years later, during the Portuguese Civil War (1828-1834), the headquarters of the liberal troops were concentrated here, under the command of Marshal Duke of Saldanha.

In the 20th century, in 1929, repairs were carried out on one of the towers, with the collapse of walls and sections of the ramparts occurring in the following years. Further repair work took place between 1937 and 1945, when two sections of the collapsed walls were rebuilt and the section near the Porta da Vila (Town Gate) was reinforced.

The Castle of Montemor-o-Novo, encompassing the walls and the buildings within them, is classified as a national monument by Decree No. 38,147 of January 5, 1951. Intervention by the Portuguese public authorities resumed in the 1960s, continuing intermittently through the 1970s and 1980s. In this latter period, archaeological research began and was resumed between 1992 and 1993. More recently, the so-called Torre da Má Hora (Tower of the Bad Hour) was restored.

https://www.castelosdeportugal.pt/castelos/CastelosSECXIII/montemorNovo.html













































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