The Castle of Monsaraz (Castelo de Monsaraz) is a picturesque castle perched on the highest point in the walled village of Monsaraz in the Alto Alentejo region.

The castle dominates the small village of less than 800 inhabitants from its position on the hill.

The area was under the control of the Moors before it was stormed by the legendary Portuguese warrior Geraldo Sem Pavor (Gerald the Fearless) in 1167. This was part of the campaign that also saw the capture of the Castle of Evoramonte (Castelo de Evoramonte).

It was then given to the Knights Templar and later the Order of Christ to garrison. The castle became one of a series of forts kept by King Dinis (1261-1325) to protect the border with Castile.

As well as the castle, further protection is afforded by the city walls. The main entrance to the village is through Porta da Vila, reinforced by two towers. Another gate, the Porta d'Evora, is also guarded by a rectangular tower.

During the Portuguese Restoration War (Guerra da Restauração) in the mid-17th century the castle's defences were strengthened.

By the next century as the area's administration moved west to the town of Reguengos de Monsaraz, the castle began to fall into disrepair. It was declared a National Monument in 1946 and has been subsequently restored.

As is usual with castles in Portugal there are amazing views from the top as far as Lake Alqueva and even Spain in the distance.

https://www.portugalvisitor.com

Castelo de Monsaraz

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The Castle of Mourão (Portuguese: Castelo de Mourão) is a well-preserved castle in the town of Mourão, Portugal. It is classified by IGESPAR (the Portuguese government) as a Site of Public Interest.

History

Early history

Little is known about the early occupation of this site. During midst of the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the area surrounding the castle was the scene of a few clashes between Muslims and Christians.

Medieval history

Before the Portuguese conquest of the region, the fields were donated to the Knights Hospitaller. They were first brought under the control of Gonçalo Egas, having been granted a Foral charter to the town aiming to encourage their settlement and defense in 1226. A will date from this period under the reign ofSancho II (1223–1248), directing the reconstruction of the fortification.

A Foral charter was granted to the town by King Afonso III (1248–1279) in 1254.

Under the reign of King Dinis (1279–1325), the village received a new charter. in 1296, confirmed in 1298. During this period, the original castle was renovated, increasing to three towers.

Habsburgs dynasty to modern day
During the 1383–85 Interregnum crisis, the village suffered one attack and took refuge in the castle. It was relieved by forces of the Order of Aviz.

In 1580, the castle was brought under Habsburg control when Portugal joined Spain in the Iberian Union.

The castle is considered a Public Interest Property by decree on July 18, 1957. Since it is in well conserved condition, the castle is a tourist attraction for the community.

Characteristics

The castle was constructed during the Middle Ages, built with a combination of shale stone, marble and granite. It is reinforced by six quadrangular towers. The doors and towers are influenced by Gothic architecture.

The renovations of the seventeenth century involved fixing the bastions at the corner of the walls and ravelins in front of the curtains.

Castelo de Mourão

Little more than 170 kilometres southeast of Lisbon, near the historical city of Reguengos de Monsaraz, we find a landscape typical of the Baixo Alentejo region. It is here, amongst rolling plains, shallow valleys, occasional streams, corn fields, vineyards and olive groves, we find Herdade do Esporão.

Hill-top farms and small, whitewashed villages guard the memory of life that goes back to the Prehistoric times of tapirs and dolmens, then Iberians, Romans, Visigoths and Muslims and the many others who once settled here.

The Medieval history of the region began with the Reconquista of Monsaraz and Reguengos in 1232. Since then, wine and olive oil have become an indelible aspect of the region. The geographical boundaries of Herdade do Esporão (originally Defesa do Esporão) were only established in 1267, and have been practically unchanged since then, despite being the setting for bloody battles and heroic deeds over almost nine centuries.

Soeiro Rodrigues, the judge of the city of Évora, was the first of many owners, who included Santiago Rodrigues de Vasconcelos, the Morgado D. Álvaro Mendes de Vasconcelos (who built the Esporão Tower) and the counts of Alcáçovas, who retained the property until 1973, the year it was acquired by José Roquette and Joaquim Bandeira.

In 1985, the first vintage saw the creation of the Esporão brand and the first wine produced by what was then Finagra, S.A.. In 1989, wine began being exported to what is now over 50 international markets.

Eight years later, Esporão entered the olive oil business with the acquisition of SPAZA (Sociedade Produtora de Azeites do Alentejo) – now Esporão Azeites.

At the heart of Herdade do Esporão stand three historical monuments: the Esporão Tower, the Esporão Arch and the Nossa Senhora dos Remédios Chapel, which is linked to intense and devout worship in the region that sees local people form a procession when the rains come late. The Esporão Tower, a symbol of standing in society and military power, is one of the most important towers illustrating the transition from Medieval times to the Modern Age in Portugal.

Today, the archaeological complex is an important benchmark for research into recent European pre-history.

https://www.esporao.com

Castelo de Esporão

The Castle of Terena is a castle in the civil parish of Terena in the municipality of Alandroal in the Portuguese subregion of Alentejo Central. Since 1946, it has been listed as a National monument.

History

The origins of the castle are found in the period of the early Middle Ages, specifically in the 13th century, a period in which the high Guadiana was a frontier territory with Castile. The earliest registers indicated that a foral was passed by royal knight Gil Martins and his wife, D. Maria João in 1262. It is unclear whether, after this charter, the construction of the structure was begun. Owing to the interest of King Denis to consolidate his kingdom's frontiers, the castle was part of a course of fortresses that included Castle of Elvas, Castle of Juromenha and Castle of Alandroal. Another perspective suggests that the castle was actually constructed in the 15th century, during the reign of King John I of Portugal. This hypothesis is founded in the donation of the town of Terena to the Order of São Bento de Avis, which could have been the impetus for the site to be renovated from a previous garrison (although it highly dubious). By 1380, the castle and its barbican was already identified, indicating clearly that the fortress was under construction.

In 1482, King John II named Nuno Martins da Silveira as alcalde and, in the first decades of the 16th century, this redoubt was amplified during public works, that left behind several visible structures. What is clear, is that a considerable portion of the structure survived from the 14th century.

Remodeled in 1509, the architect Duarte d' Armas reoriented the entranceway through the keep tower, and erected two towers on either side of this structure.

A new foral was issued in 1512 by King Manuel I of Portugal. A couple of years later, the keep tower was remodelled again, this time by Francisco de Arruda, who altered the systems of access: he constructed a barbican, that forced the visitor to follow a path that was less direct to the main road.

In 1652, the castle was occupied and then sacked by Castilian forces commanded by the Duke of S. German. During the Portuguese Restoration War, workers completed alterations to the garrison, constructing a gate towards Spain, between two cubels.

The courtyard of the castle was damaged during the events of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, although there is no evidence that it was restored, as by that time it had already become abandoned.

Republic

On 13 January 1979, the castle was ceded to the Junta de freguesia de Terena.

Various points along the walls were restored, and portions reconstructed along the castle's flanks, along with the establishment of the staircase in 1937.

In 1970, the masonry was retouched, and repairs were completed on the walls. Among the changes were repairs made in cement, that included the re-plastering of the vaulted ceiling in the tower keep. The following year the walls were, once again, repaired, this time including the merlons, while masonry and repairs to the gate were completed in 1977.

Within a decade similar projects would occurring in 1981–82, 1984–85, 1986 and 1987, that included work on the walls, staircase, vaulted ceiling, doors and windows, in addition to the construction of a wooden staircase (to access the tower) and landscaping.

Architecture

The castle is located in a rural part of Terena, over a pronounced hilltop overlooking the town, dominating the extreme edge of the ravine and reservoir of Lucefece and surrounding landscape. The Castle lies in the vicinity of the sanctuaries of Endovélico and Church of Nossa Senhora da Boa Nova.

It is an irregular pentagon, flanked by four semi-circular towers and three angular bastions. The rectangular keep or prison tower, approximately two storeys in height, has several vaulted compartments that are lit by cruciform slits in the walls. A rectangular barbican, with Roman arched gate that includes adarve. The castle is accessible from three gates: the Traitors' Gate and the Gate of the Sun (which was obstructed since the Restoration Wars) and the village gate (the main entrance), which is protected by the barbican.