The Castle of Castelo Rodrigo (Portuguese: Castelo de Castelo Rodrigo) is a medieval castle in the civil parish of Castelo Rodrigo in the municipality of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, district of Guarda.

History

It is believed that the castle was founded in VI century based on legends. After the village was conquered by Alfonso IX of León, he ordered to build the castle and reinforce the defensive line. The name of the village, as well as the castle comes from the name of the Count Rodrigo Gonzalez de Girón who was responsible for the defense of the castle. The Castelo Rodrigo was incorporated into the Kingdom of Portugal in 1297 with the Treaty of Alcañices between King Denis of Portugal and King Fernando IV of Castile.

The fortress and walled fence were rebuilt, and 13 turrets, Menagem Tower (keep), a barbican and moats were constructed by D.Denis in the XIV century.

It has been listed as a National monument since 1922.

Architecture

The configuration of the castle surrounding the village is oval. Existing sections of wall have attached constructions, with the exception in North and East sides. In the West and South sides of the castle there are towers or turrets in circular shape of which 4 are still standing with their collapsed tops.

On the East there is a quadrangular ledge, and on the North there is a partially crumbled square-shaped tower. Three doors are remaining: the Door of the Sun (turned to the East), The Door of the Alverca (turned to the North) and the Door of Betrayal.

Castle of Castelo Rodrigo

Account

by category

Login

Name

by region

Title

Name in English

Pinhel Castle, the guardian of one of the oldest towns in the country, is a fine example of Portugal's unique Manueline architecture.

Surrounded by walls and rivers, and lying at the heart of a system of fortifications that included the castles of Trancoso, Marialva and Castelo Mendo, Pinhel was one of the most advanced strongholds in this part of Portugal until the 13th century.

The robust walls, with their six gates and two towers, were built in 1385. On the northern side, be sure to see the beautiful Manueline window, which illuminates a vaulted hall topped by one of the symbols of D. Manuel I’s power, the armillary sphere. During the French invasions in 1810 meanwhile, the castle and the town were occupied by General Loisson.

https://www.visitportugal.com

Castle of Pinhel

Castle Fortress of Almeida

Fortress of Almeida 

The Castle of Castelo Melhor (Portuguese: Castelo de Castelo Melhor) is a medieval castle located in the civil parish of Castelo Melhor, in the municipality of Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Portuguese Guarda. The castle is one of the best examples of secondary medieval fortresses, erected in one of the more peripheral zones of the peninsular kingdoms.

History

During the pre-Roman era, the site was occupied by a castro founded by the Turduli peoples.

By the 12th century, the land was already occupied by Leonese forces. The project was conceived by the Leonese and began in the 13th century, a period that corresponded to intense fortification of the lines of Riba-Côa, an area that was constantly in dispute between the Portuguese and Castilian monarchs. It was in this context that King D. Alfonso VII of León conceded a foral (charter) to Castelo Melhor between 1209 and 1210, simultaneously ordering the construction of the "castle", in order to consolidate the population and military, which would become important in the succeeding centuries.

As a consequence of the Treaty of Alcanices, in 1297, the land was integrated into Portuguese territory. On 12 June 1298, King D. Dinis confirmed the privileges issued during Leonese dominion, affirming the importance of the new space. At the same time, he ordered work on the castle and dotted on the town a new administrative purpose, even as it continued to project a secondary military importance within the military lines of Riba-Côa.

This minor statute was supported by King Denis. In addition to its transformation and later ruins, he limited the reformulation to the "entrance system to the castle, whose gate began to be flanked by two rectangular towers". This solution, by its scenographic and authoritarian symbolism transmitted regal authority in the region. Parallel with the perimeter wall, the generally circular and singular tower were "oriented toward the settlement, protecting the unique flank where access was possible". Denis's confirmation of Alfonso's privileges, which avoided any sudden changes to the population or administrative organization of the town, but added a keep tower.

In the last quarter of the 14th century, the first repairs were completed on the castle, during the reign of King D. Fernando. Between 1383 and 1385, during the dynastic crisis, the castle became the dominion of the Kingdom of Castile. Following the Treaty of Monção, on 29 November 1389, the Portuguese crown obtained the squares of Olivença, Noudar, Mértola, Castelo Mendo and Castelo Melhor, while ceding Salvaterra and Tui.

In the first quarter of the 15th century, repairs were undertaken during the reign of Kings D. John I and D. Afonso V. At the beginning of this century (in 1422) the Rol dos Besteiros, refers to the Castelo Melhor included some 1704 inhabitants. King Afonso V was obliged to confer on Castelo Melhor the status of town, integrating it with the municipality of Almendra, resulting in the municipality of Almendra e Castelo Melhor. During the 1496 Inquirição (royal inquiries) there were only 204 inhabitants in the territory.

At the end of the 15th century, King D. John II donated the lands of Castelo Melhor to João Fernandes Cabral for 4000 crowns for his marriage to Joana Coutinho. In the following century, many of the important noble families became affixed to the alcalde of the castles, and the fortress fell into the hands of the Cabral, whom were responsible for the alcalde of Belmonte. But, even as Belmonte became the seat of their power, resulting the construction of their seat, in Castelo Melhor, little remained. Around this time (1527), Castelo Melhor was mentioned in the Cadastro da População do Reino (Kingdoms Population Cadastre) as being a part of the town of Almendra. In 1584, it was elevated to the status of seat of the countship, in favor of Rui Mendes de Vasconcelos.

During the context of the Restoration Wars, in 1640, an artillery battery was constructed on the eastern flank of the hilltop.

In the 18th century, Castelo Melhor was already a subordinate to Almendre and its donataries were the Counts of Castelo Melhor.

On 17 April 1758, in the Memórias Paroquiais, signed by the parish priest, José Gonçalves da Guerra, the settlement was acknowledged as a donatary fiefdom of D. José de Caminha Vasconcelos e Sousa, Faro, Távora e Veiga, Count of Castelo Melhor, and included a population of 89 residents. The castle was granted the title of seat of the county, without garrison, but defensible by necessity.

In 1766, the town was elevated to the status of marquesship in favour of the 4th Count, José de Vasconcelos e Sousa Caminha da Câmara Faro e Veiga (the last titular was the 7th Marquess, Elena Maria de Vasconcelos e Sousa Ximenes).

In 1855, the municipality of Almendra e Castelo Melhor was extinguished, in favor of the municipality of Vila Nova de Foz Côa.

Architecture

The castle of Castle Melhor is situated in a rural region, 450 metres (1,480 ft) above sea level, overlooking an urban settlement on the right margin of the Côa River. The Douro River is situated some 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the north, while the Côa River is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to the west. Its courtyard is built on the rock covered surface integrating large boulders.

The castle follows an irregular polygonal form on the hilltop. The damaged walls consist of small schist stone with 3–6 metres (9.8–19.7 ft) without merlons and access staircase to the battlements, with a triple arch gate in the northwest. A circular tower is located behind the northern wall. Between the gate and tower are the vestiges of a reinforcement wall, similar to a structure along the south wall, that indicate the former existence of a barbican. Three conical corbels are behind the eastern and northwestern portion of the wall. A circular cistern, without covering is situated in the northeast part of the courtyard, with various remnants of rectangular buildings in the courtyard.

Castle of Castelo Melhor

The medieval castle of Longroiva, classified as a national monument, is one of the most important examples of military Templar architecture of Beira Interior and one of the best testimonies to Romanesque castle in the region. Built on an alleged castro pre-Roman, erected between the centuries IV and II century BC, its construction will coincide with a significant outbreak of settlement in the region, in the early 12TH century, having belonged to the order of the temple and to the order of Christ. In the 18th century, with the progressive loss of importance of the town, has been documenting the progressive ruin of the Castle and, in the 19th century, the Castle passed to serve as supply of stone for construction and the interior of the castle was turned into a cemetery, which still today preserves use. In the 20th century, ali performed investigations have revealed some of the original structures, such as the cistern, and the conservation work allowed still remain parts of the walls and the keep, which was one of the first to be built in Portugal, second epigraph dated to 1174.



https://www.allaboutportugal.pt


Castelo de Longroiva

O Castelo de Marialva, na Beira Alta, localiza-se na vila de Marialva, Freguesia e Concelho de Mêda, Distrito da Guarda, em Portugal.

No topo de um penedo granítico, em posição dominante sobre a vila e a planície cortada pela antiga estrada romana, encontra-se estrategicamente colocado na região fronteiriça do rio Côa (Ribacôa). Verdadeiro complexo medieval, suas raízes mergulham no passado histórico de Portugal, ligando-se ao trágico destino dos Távoras.

História

Antecedentes

Embora carecendo de maiores estudos acredita-se que a primitiva ocupação humana deste sítio remonte a um castro dos Aravaros, uma das várias tribos em que se dividiam os Lusitanos (não confundir com Ávaros, povo que só viria a surgir na Era Cristã e nunca pisou solo português). Após a Invasão romana da Península Ibérica, sob o reinado dos imperadores Adriano e Trajano novas obras terão ampliado a povoação que se constituiu em cidade, denominada nos primeiros séculos da Era Cristã como Civitas Aravorum. Dominando a antiga estrada romana que ligava Celorico da Beira ao Douro, a urbe se espraiava das faldas da elevação à planície circundante, conforme o testemunho de restos de construções e da documentação epigráfica resgatadas arqueológicamente do subsolo da Devesa.

Ocupada sucessivamente por Visigodos (que a denominaram como Castro de São Justo), e por Muçulmanos, a povoação entrou em decadência nos séculos seguintes.

À época da Reconquista cristã da península, foi tomada aos mouros por Fernando Magno (1063), admitindo-se que existisse uma fortificação à época.

O castelo medieval

D. Afonso Henriques (1112-1185) encontrou a povoação abandonada. Para incentivar o seu repovoamento e defesa, passou-lhe Carta de Foral, garantindo privilégios não só aqueles que por iniciativa régia ali se estabeleciam na ocasião, mas a todos os que assim o fizessem no futuro. Embora esse documento não apresente data, acredita-se que tenha sido passado posteriormente a 1158, admitindo-se a data de (1179). Acredita-se que a primitiva feição de seu castelo remonte a esta fase, a partir da observação das características construtivas do aparelho da muralha e de uma das torres.

Na transição para o século XIII, o rei D. Sancho I (1185-1211) prosseguiu as obras de edificação do castelo, ampliando-lhe os muros que passaram a envolver a vila. O seu filho e sucessor, D. Afonso II (1211-1223), confirmou-lhe o foral (1217).

Em 1296 D. Dinis (1279-1325) partiu de Castelo Rodrigo à invasão de Castela, reivindicando as terras além do Côa, que efetivamente vieram a ser incorporadas a Portugal pelo Tratado de Alcanizes (1297). Nesse contexto, Marialva incluía-se no rol das povoações atendidas por aquele monarca, e assim lhe foi procedida a reconstrução do castelo. Este soberano instituiu, em 1286, a feira mensal de três dias, oferecendo privilégios a quem ali praticasse o comércio, visando o mesmo objetivo de incentivo ao povoamento. À época, a vila já se espalhava extramuros, na direção Norte.

Quando da crise de 1383-1385, Marialva e seu castelo tomaram o partido do Mestre de Avis.

No século XV, D. Afonso V (1438-1481) concedeu-lhe o título de condado tendo D. Vasco Fernandes Coutinho recebido o título de conde de Marialva (1440).

No século XVI várias intervenções foram promovidas: por D. Manuel I (1495-1521), que passou o Foral Novo à vila (1515), pelo Infante D. Fernando (irmão de D. João III (1521-1557) e marido de D. Guiomar Coutinho, filha do último conde de Marialva), e por D. Sebastião ainda sob a regência de D. Catarina d'Áustria (1557-1562). Desta última intervenção é testemunha a data de 1559, inscrita na muralha.

A época da Restauração

À época da Restauração da independência portuguesa, o antigo castelo sofreu nova campanha de obras, quando um baluarte foi adossado aos muros. Nesse período, D. Afonso VI (1656-1667) elevou a vila à condição de marquesado, cujo título foi concedido a António Luís de Meneses, nomeado conde de Cantanhede em reconhecimento pelos serviços prestados na Guerra da Restauração, em particular em Elvas e em Montes Claros.

Os Távoras e a decadência

As "Memórias Paroquiais de 1758" referem que, no início do século XVIII, as muralhas, as quatro torres e as quatro portas, se encontravam em perfeito estado. Entretanto, na segunda metade do mesmo século a situação se inverteu: a tentativa de regicídio contra D. José I (1750-1777), em 1758, causou profundas repercussões na vila de Marialva, uma vez que era seu alcaide à época, o marquês de Távora, um dos principais implicados no atentado. A partir do sentenciamento da família em Lisboa, no ano seguinte, a população da vila passou a abandoná-la, resumindo-se os seus moradores à área extramuros dos arrabaldes a Oeste e da Devesa, no sopé da encosta a Sul hoje o local mais desenvolvido de Marialva.

A recuperação do monumento

Apenas no final do século XX é que este conjunto arquitetónico despertou o interesse público, tendo sido classificado como Monumento Nacional através do Decreto de 12 de Setembro de 1978. A formalização de um protocolo entre o IPPC e a Câmara Municipal de Meda (1986), possibilitou a realização de obras de recuperação e beneficiação no conjunto monumental.