Dating back to 13th century the ruins of the Montemor-o-Novo Castle in Portugal remain a haunting ruin that can be explored by any traveller curious enough to pass through the still-standing gates. 

In its day, the castle in Montemor-o-Novo was an impressive citadel perched on a hill.  It was inhabited by nobles and monarchs, but also used its long walls and fortified gates to protect the city itself. As the area grew, the palace eventually fell out of use and by the 16th century it stopped expanding and began its slow decline.

Today large portions of the castle remain including the gates to the city and portions of the walls. Most clearly are the number of towers that remain on the hill. An old clock tower and even a tall citadel strangely known as the “Tower of the Bad Hour” still rise up in front of the sky.

Visitors are welcome to roam the castle grounds and walk along the remaining portions of the walls and crumbling keeps. However the ruins are hundreds of years old and can be treacherous, so caution is advised.          


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Castelo de Montemor-o-Novo

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One of the reminders of Arraiolos’s foundation is the massive medieval fortress wall which sits on Monte de San Pedro, a hill north of the present town of Arraiolos. Castelo Arraiolos was built by order of King D. Dinis, but the site itself is believed to have been a prehistoric settlement dating to 300BC.

Arraiolos Castle

The Arraiolos castle dominates over the town of Arraiolos. To give an idea of the size of the structure, when King Dinis signed a contract in 1305 for the fortress wall to be built, it was specified that the wall should be 455.4 metres in length, 6.6m high and 2.2m thick. From the top of the hill there is a good view of the entire area and it is no wonder that King Dinis chose this spot to build his castle. Within the fortress walls was where all manner of village life existed.

This changed in the 14th century when the people began moving down to the valley where it was less windy and cold. King Ferdinand tried to induce the people to stay by granting a series of privileges, but that strategy failed.

When the Arraiolos Castle was passed into the hands of Nunos Alvares Pereira, who was granted the title of the Earl of Arraiolos, he used the castle as a base for military expeditions against the Kingdom of Castella. By the 17th century, the castle had fallen into a state of ruin. When Castelo Arraiolos was classified as a Portuguese National Monument in the 1960s, the walls were restored to its present perfect condition.

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