The Castle of Vila Flor (Portuguese: Castelo de Vila Flor) is a medieval castle located in the civil parish of Vila Flor e Nabo, municipality of Vila Flor, Portuguese district of Bragança.

Early history

The presence of several ancient forts in ruins suggest indicates that the region has been occupied by prehistoric humans.

Medieval era

Archeological and anedoctal evidence places the establishment of the village at the height of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the eleventh century.

It and the region became part of the Kingdom of Portugal under King Afonso I of Portugal upon Portugal's independence.

On 24 May 1286, King Dinis (1279-1325) granted a Foral Charter to the village, the first time of its existence in the record books. In 1295, the king rose the village to a town status.

The village was sympathetic to Jewish families who were expelled from other parts of Europe. Influx of immigration led to the development of agriculture, trade and manufacturing of leather and jewelry.

King Manuel (1495-1521) handed the town a new Foral Charter on 4 May 1512. However, the new Charter was anti-Semitic and drove away a lot of Jews, resulting in a massive decline of the population.

Modern day

Over time, the castle saw its usefulness decline. Townspeople neglected to maintain proper of the castle and the fortress slowly wore due to the force of nature. The castle is mostly in ruins with a few left standing.

It was later decreed by the Portuguese government that it is a site of Public interest on 20 October 1955.

Characteristics

The castle is protected by a ring of wall that originally had five gates. Of these five ports, only one portcullis survives and is named as South Gate or Arch of D. Dinis. It is a pointed arch with dimensions of 3.5 meters wide by 4 meters high and is held by two semicircular plant towers.

Castelo de Vila Flor

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O Castelo de Torre de Moncorvo, no Douro, localiza-se na freguesia, vila e concelho de Torre de Moncorvo, no distrito de Bragança, em Portugal.

História

O castelo medieval

A povoação foi criada como uma vila nova em 1285, no âmbito da ação povoadora empreendida por D. Dinis (1279-1325), processo que fora iniciado desde D. Afonso III (1248-1279). Herdando o termo até então vinculado à cabeça de terra de Santa Cruz de Vilariça, era instituída como sede administrativa e militar. Datará deste período a construção de seu castelo, citado pelo próprio soberano já em 1295.

Sob o reinado de D. Afonso IV (1325-1357), um contrato entre a Câmara e dois pedreiros para a construção de uma barbacã (1337), permite-nos identificar a construção desta estrutura defensiva exterior. Mais tarde, ainda nesse século, sob Fernando de Portugal (1367-1383), iniciou-se a ereção de oito torreões de planta quadrangular (1376).

Do século XVI aos nossos dias

Uma informação de 1530, dá conta de que a cerca da vila estava derribada, o que levaria à execução de trabalhos de reparo no final desse século, insuficientes, entretanto, para deter o processo de decadência do conjunto nos séculos seguintes.

Dessa forma, em 1721 outra informação dá conta de algumas portas e trechos da cerca foram demolidas.

Ao se atingir o século XIX, a Câmara Municipal já considerava o castelo irrecuperável. Por se localizar entre a vila velha e a vila nova, com acesso possível apenas por uma artéria estreita e íngreme, a municipalidade projectou a sua demolição (1842). Com a aprovação do projeto, toda a zona foi rebaixada, erguendo-se novos edifícios públicos. A construção de um quartel, embora projetado, entretanto, jamais saiu do papel.

Os remanescentes do conjunto, alguns troços de muralha na altura da Praça da República e adjacências, encontram-se classificados como Imóvel de Interesse Público por Decreto publicado em 20 de Outubro de 1955.

Características

Localizado em posição dominante a Oeste da vila medieval, o castelo apresentava planta quadrangular irregular, em aparelho de granito. A sua praça de armas estava livre de quaisquer edificações. Um desenho datado de 1815 permite reconhecer que o castelo apresentava duas torres, uma voltada para o interior e outra para o exterior, sendo que uma porta em arco abatido, a Leste, permitia o acesso ao recinto.

Castelo de Torre de Moncorvo

The Castle of Carrazeda de Ansiães (Portuguese: Castelo de Carrazeda de Ansiães), normally shortened to Castle of Ansiães, is a medieval castle in the civil parish of Lavandeira, municipality of Carrazeda de Ansiães of Portugal.

The castle ruins, whose structure is easy to reconstitute, includes a few peculiarities, such as small Traitors' Gate alongside the keep tower, and remnants of barbicans along the walls, in addition to examples of primitive cisterns in relative good state (although obstructed). The Castle of Ansiães and that of Vila Flor complement each other: both implanted in a protected zone, on small plateaus between cordillera and three peaks.

History

Antiquity

The first remnants recorded on this site date to the Chalcolithic period approximately 3000 BCE, and were the basis for the early Roman settlement that developed. This ended with the sack of Carrazeda de Ansiães by northern barbarians in 409.

This was followed by the conquest of the region by Muslim forces in 711. The settlement escaped attacks by the Leonese forces during the 11th century, but, its position near Christian kingdoms meant that a fortification was required to protect their settlement. Yet, by 1057, the first Christian Foral Charter was instituted by the Ferdinand I of León and Castile, insinuating the fall of the Moorish fortress; the foral constituted one of the oldest geographic forals, defining the extent of Portuguese borders. During the High Middle Ages, the location already possessed a long cultural heritage, a factor that allowed it to become a fulcrum along the Douro River. Consequently, in subsequent centuries, the region experienced an exponential growth within the walled settlement.

Medieval era

In 1160, the first King of Portugal Afonso Henriques conferred the first Portuguese Foral charter, later re-confirmed and validated on 6 April 1198, by his successor King Sancho I, and again in April 1219, by King Afonso II. The village progressively imposed its importance in the territory it belonged, which included diverse resources, a proliferation of small agglomerations and agricultural parcels. It was in this context that in 1277, King Afonso III issued a charter to allow a fair in Ansiães.

King Ferdinand gave the town of Carrazeda de Ansiães to João Rodrigo Porto Carrero, in 1372. But, João Rodrigues took up arms for the Kingdom of León and Castile, which would only be settled in the Treaty of Badajoz in 1382.

Between 1384 and 1496, a letter in the localities of Freixial, Murça and Abreiro obligated the transfer of customs dues to the construction of the new castle. But, in order to quicken the construction these funds were supported by the church funds. In 1443, the regent Peter funnelled the taxes from Freixiel, Abreiro and Vilarinho da Castanheira to support the repair of the walls of the castle.

On 11 June 1510, King Manuel of Portugal issued a new foral to Carrazeda de Ansiães, yet transferred the castle to Rui Dias de Sampaio in 1516. By 1527, the village consisted of 35 inhabited buildings, yet the lack of potable water, relative distance to fertile terrains and principal roadways, resulted in the castle's progressive abandon. Between 1580 and 1591 the walls were repaired by the royal taxes, which was later complemented by local efforts to reinforce these walls in 1640. The final part of the 15th century, and in particular the 16th century, marked the beginning of a demographic transformation, resulting in an accentuated urban loss to the periphery. In the following centuries this movement worsened, culminating in the transference of the municipal seat to Carrazeda, in 1734. By the 19th century, the settlement within the castle walls was finally abandoned.

On 1 June 1992, the property was transferred to the IPPAR Instituto Português do Património Arquitectónico (Portuguese Institute for Architectural Patrimony), under decree-law 106F/92, before these competencies were agglomerated by the Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico (Institute for the Management of Architectural and Archaeological Heritage). In order to re-appropriate the historical importance of the site, in 1995, the Projecto Arqueológico do Castelo de Ansiães (Archaeological Project for the Castle of Ansiães), by the Grupo de Estudos de História da Viticultura Duriense e do Vinho do Porto (GEHVID) (Study Group for the Douro Viticulture and Porto Wine), financed by the GEHVID and municipal council was initiated. The first excavations on site occurred between 1996 and 1998, occurring in the interior and exterior perimeter walls, under the supervision of archaeologist Luís Pereira.

The DGEMN Direcção Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (General-Directorate for Buildings and National Monuments) was active in the recuperation of the walls in 1944-1945 and 1976, with consolidation of the western towers occurring in 1977.

In 2004, a reception centre was constructed.

Architecture

The ruins are located in a rural, isolated position, between the mountainous Serra da Vila, encircled by zones of vegetation, and 200 metres (660 ft) from an area of cultivatable lands. The space rests atop a small plateau, above which is a small cordillera and blow a sequence of smaller mounts. About 40 metres (130 ft) from the castle's entrance lies the ruins of the Convent of São João, which dates from the Roman epoch, and within the exterior walls exists the Church of São Salvador.

The remains of the fortification are granite and mortar, consisting of an irregular, oval-shaped wall with a thickness of 2.65 metres (8.7 ft) and whose height is a maximum 6.6 metres (22 ft). A smaller redoubt in an elevated part of the site forms a quadrilateral.

The interior courtyard has a Roman arch entrance to the south (São Salvador Gate), consisting of two rows of staves, the inner more narrow and wide, guarded by two rectangular towers: the left is partially destroyed and the other the keep tower, to the north, square-shaped with two floors, flanked by a smallTraitors' Gate.

In this perimetre are vestiges of a cistern (actually obstructed) with vaulted-ceiling of granite, abutting the cliff-side. Another vaulted cistern was dismantled by the IPPC Instituto Português do Património Cultural (Portuguese Institute for Cultural Patrimony), but never reconstructed, much like the Torre dos Lameiros, which is actually destroyed.

An interior courtyard, also ovular, encircled the old town, creating a second defensive perimeter, while in the east and south, the granite cliffs completed the defensive lines. Here there are visible remains of homes and cubical-spaces, some with barbicans. This defensive zone is served by Fonte Vedra Gate to the south (a Roman arch doorway), while in the east is the principal entrance with access to Lavandeira, referred to as the Porta da Vila Gate. To the west are the São João and the São Francisco Gates, with their own stone roads that converge at the town centre.

In reality, there continue to be two perceptible and distinct spaces constituting the principal elements of the medieval form of Carrazeda de Ansiães. The first, situated on the higher elevations, corresponds to the primitive trebuchets. This perimeter is defined and organized around the ovular walls, reinforced by five rectangular towers. It is still possible to recognize the group of structural vestiges, such as the keep and the respective annexes. It is also in this space that the cistern is located, which presumes the presences of older buildings of a military function. This is a defensive specialization, destined for the shelter and protection of its residents. The second space is defined by an urbanized area. A second line of walls, 600 metres (2,000 ft) in length and three rectangular towers, encircling a perimeter that is proliferated by large damage, including medieval and modern structures. The urban organization, its plan, is centered on various roads that intercept each other, structuring the small barrios and residential areas of the community.

Castle of Carrazeda de Ansiães

The Castle of Mirandela (Portuguese: Castelo de Montalvão) is a medieval castle in the civil parish of Mirandela, municipality of the same name, in the Portuguese district of Bragança.

History

During the Roman occupation of the Iberian peninsula, the territory of Mirandela was intensely populated; owing to its fertile, arable land it was an important agricultural centre.

In the Trás-os-Montes region, Mirandela has always occupied a central place within the territory. In 1198, one of the first references to the settlement occurred with the stay of King D. Sancho I when Bragança was under siege by troops loyal to King Alfonso IX of León.

King D. Afonso III conceded a foral to Mirandela in 1250. It is likely that the construction of the castle and wall fortifications were begun at this time, in order to protect the population. The 1258 Inquiries suggest that the settlement had existed since the reign of King Afonso II. In 1282, the primitive settlement of Mirandela was transferred from the locale of Castelo Velho to the elevated hilltop of Cabeçao de São Miguel by regal charter. During the sequence of this event, the monarch also issued orders to erect a citadel and keep tower. At the time of its completion it was considered, for the epoch, one of the better fortifications in the Trás-os-Montes region.

On 7 March 1291, King D. Dinis conceded a new foral and defined the limites of the municipal territory of Mirandela. Construction of the tower and walls along the hilltop of São Miguel continued. Within the walls, the first fair occurred in 1295.

On 27 June 1301, a letter of donation was issued for the town of Mirandela to Branca Lourenço.

A notice was issued in 1318, regarding the position of the citadel at Mirandela by the King to Domingos Geraldes, in virtue of the state of abandon, which was designated as the Paaço del Rey (the Palace of the King).

The castle was mentioned between 1383 and 1385, in the Chronicle of D. João I by Fernão Lopes, who indicated Mirandela's support of the pretensions of the Master of Avis. During this time and extending to 1448, Mirandela was one of the medieval castles that suffered several interventions to conserve and reinforce the structure.

Notice in 1401 indicated that public works were being undertaken on the walls and dungeons through the initiative of the Crown, owing to the war.

King D. Manuel I conceded a new foral to Mirandela, in Lisbon on 1 July 1512. But, quickly, by 1530, the castle lost its military importance, which started its gradual decline and ruin of the castle. As a public census indicated that year: "The town of Mirandela is encircled by parts in ruin".

A 1688 municipal document mentioned the Postigo de São José that existed in one of the walls of the castle.

Father Carvalho da Costa, writing in 1706: the town "is walled for old use with feeble wall with parts in ruin and three doors". Another contemporary at the time, J. Alvarez Colmenar referred to Mirandela as being situated on the margins of the Tuela River and defended by a castle in 1715.

With loss of its strategic/defensive role and growth in economic development, many builders looked to the unused walls as potential building material. From the 19th century on, the castle became a source of stone, helping to pave new streets and building houses. The walls of the castle were lowered by half a meter, in order to support the repaving of the city streets. Between 1874 and 1884, various parts of the walls were knocked down in order to construct buildings in the town.

At the beginning of the 20th century, two of the four gates still remained at the castle: one of the gates was destroyed intentionally by the municipality. This occurred even as in May 1950, the municipal authority placed a plaque on the interior arch, commemorating the 700 years since Mirandela's elevation to the status of town. The remains of the medieval wall, represented by the Santo António Gate, was classified as a Property of Public Interest by decree published on 20 October 1955. By the 1970s notices describe the castle of Mirandela as in ruin. Yet, in May 2000, another plaque was erected to mark the 750 anniversary of the towns elevation.

Architecture

The urban castle is surrounded by residence, especially in the lower quarter, situated along an arterial near the Tua River and bridge, and the Rua da Republica. Most of the buildings that surround the remains of the old castle are three floors high.

Of the remaining links to the castle's history, is the Santo António Gate, formed from two thick walls, separated by a rounded arch, broken on the exterior and rounded on the interior side. The gate is approximately 4.5–5 metres (15–16 ft) high, with the still visible the grooves in the granite stones for the hinges used in opening and closing the access. Over the gate are vestiges of the primitive Chemin de ronde walkway, which was later transformed into a terrace for the residences. There are other wall segments throughout the city, some 5 metres (16 ft) high and 2 metres (6.6 ft) thick, built with a base of granite and shale throughout.