The Castle of Portalegre (Portuguese: Castelo de Portalegre) is a Portuguese medieval castle in the civil parish of Sé e São Lourenço, municipality of Portalegre, district of Portalegre.

It stands out over the older part of the town because of its imposing location over a higher area and because of the contrast between its dark walls and the prevailing whitewashed houses. It served chiefly as a defence of the frontier zone in front of Castile.

History

The earliest historical references date from the reign of Dom Afonso III of Portugal, the king who conceded the first charter to Portalegre in 1259, which gave it the status of vila (town) and made it the capital of a new autonomous municipality.

Starting in 1290, Afonso III's son, the king D. Dinis, reinforced the castle and built the city walls, motivated by the increasing need of defending the frontier and the increased importance of the town.

D. Dinis would attack the fortifications he had ordered to be built in 1299, in the course of a dispute for the ownership of Portalegre between him and his brother Afonso of Portugal, Lord of Portalegre, who also claimed the Portuguese throne.

In the 16th century the city walls and the castle, namely the keep, were reinforced.

In course of the Portuguese Restoration War, the defences of the town were renewed and reinforced again, between 1641 e 1646. They were not effective enough to avoid that the town was occupied in 1704 by French and Spanish troops during the War of the Spanish Succession.

In the Peninsular War there were combats in 1808 against the Napoleonic troops stationed in Portalegre, an event that may have triggered that the French general Louis Henri Loison imposed a heavy tribute to the town.

The castle was listed as a National monument in 1922, but only it was only in the 1960s that any serious restoration works were carried out. In the late 1990s there were more restoration works. In 1999 the Núcleo Museológico do Castelo, a small museum, was founded. It displays weaponry from the 15th century to the World War I.

Castle of Portalegre

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

History

Just 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Portalegre, the castle of Alegrete is one of the more important fortress in the Alto Alentejo, assuming since the Middle Age, a fundamental position in regional defense. Most of the references to its origins are obscure. Traditional literature suggest that its history extends to the primordials of the Portuguese kingdom. Legend suggests that Alegrete was reconquered from the Moors in 1160 by D. Afonso Henriques.

The first documents suggest it dated from the 13th century, during the reign of King D. Afonso III, when the fortifications were either constructed or reconstructed.

On 16 February 1267, the settlement was effectively incorporated into the possessions of the Portuguese Crown, in the Treaty of Badajoz, celebrated between King D. Afonso III and his father-in-law King D. Alfonso X of Castile.

The reconstruction of the fortifications are attributed to the foral (charter) of King D. Dinis in 1319. Most of the building on the site occurred between the 13th and 14th century, but likely began immediately after the accord at Badajoz. The perimeter of the fortification was quite irregular, and did not adopt the oval plan generally used during the Portuguese Gothic period. The keep tower was erected alongside the eastern walls and located near a cistern, that supported the community within the walls and military garrison. The main gateway was in the south (today concealed) and crowned by small tower with machicolations towards the interior. Complementing the military garrison was a curtain of walls connected to the castle. In the following centuries, Alegrete took on an important role in the wars with Castile.

On 8 April 1384, D. Nuno Alvares Pereira visited Alegrete as part of his defense of Portugal.

A new foral was issued on 14 February 1516 by King D. Manuel I. The transition between medieval warfare and pyroballistic warfare determined the slow decline of the castle. Meanwhile, though, the dynastic crisis resulting from the death of King Sebastian at Alcácer Quibir, revitalized the importance of the medieval castle, owing to its frontier position along the Spanish border. Under the influence of the Marquess of Marialva, the walls were repaired and updated, during a rapid reconstruction process. The work resulted in a fortress with bastions, but little today remains to identify its limits.

At the end of the 17th century, King D. John IV compensated General Matias de Albuquerque by making him the Count of Alegrete, and putting the castle on the first line of defense during the Portuguese Restoration War. By 1662, the garrison of Alegrete was composed of two infantry companies, under the command of La Costé. As legend suggests, the Governor dissuaded John of Austria (whose forces had encircled the settlement) from attacking, offering him two bottles of wine and suggesting that the Portuguese garrison would resist until the last of the wine produced in Alegrete. Work on the walls were carried out by Luís Serrão Pimentel following their damage.

On 12 July 1664, there is record of repairs and rehabilitation of the fortifications under the direction of the Marquess of Marialva.

On 19 August 1687, the Marquess of Alegrete was instituted, in the name of its first Marquess, D. Manuel Teles da Silva.

In 1704, Portuguese forces situated in Alegrete resisted the siege by Phillip V of Spain.

During the course of the War of the Oranges at the beginning of the Peninsular Wars, forces stationed in Alegrete resisted Spanish bombardment in 1801. But, the castle was already irreversibly in decline. Within twenty years, the conflict between Absolutists and Liberals erupted within Portugal, leading to combat within the castle's proximity, between troops of the Count of Vila Flor and royalist forces.

As part of political reforms the municipality and magisterial courts in Alegrete were extinguished on 26 June 1855.

Architecture

The urban fortifications, with castle to the south, delimits the primitive settlement on top of the mountain, at about 502.9 metres (1,650 ft) altitude. On the northern flank supported the town, called the Arrabalde, and rest of the flanks are occupied by agricultural fields, with olive orchards, broken by the Ribeira de São Pedro (also called Ribeira do Ninho d'Açor) in the west. The location of the fortifications, at the top of the mountain, makes it an ideal lookout over the vast landscape below.

Much of the walls are in a state of ruin; yet, there are several trenches still conserved, including the "Vila" Gate, a prototype of typical Gothic gates. The castle comprises an irregular plan, delimited by the "Vila" Gate in the north and along the east the "Traitors'" Gate (also called the "Sun" Gate). At this point there are ruins in east that could have been the keep tower, with cistern and pavement with door to the south. Over the cistern is another pavement above the stairs the extend from the patio. The tower appears to have been divided in two from the cistern. To the west of the tower is a small tower and terrace that opens to a patio. In the south/southwest of the castle are the remains of a cubel/watchtower, with a rectangular surface, that accessible from a staircase addorsed from the southern wall. Much of the interior of the castle is occupied by rocks and unlevel ground.

The urban walls, extend from the cardinal directions from the castle: two walls to the southwest (extending from the "Santana" Gate); west from a cubel, that continues to the north; the wall, then, inflects towards the east-southeast (at the Rua do Forno Gate); connects to the "Villa" Gate between two corbels, continues along to the a cubel in the east (with only minor interruption); before inflecting to the south, connecting the castle and terminating in the southwest.

Castle of Alegrete

The Castle of Marvão (Portuguese: Castelo de Marvão) is a well-preserved medieval castle located in the civil parish of Santa Maria de Marvão, in the municipality of Marvão, Portuguese district of Portalegre.

History

Little is known about when the first peoples settled in the area of Marvão, but Roman forces began to appear in the region, following the strategic road linking it with Cáceres Santarém and bridge over the River Sever.

During the early Middle Ages, the Swabians, Visigoths and eventually the Umayyad Arabs began to settle in the area. The construction of the castle at Marvão was attributed to 9th century Islamic knight, Ibn Marwan, who began to dwell in the castle between 876 and 877. By the beginning of the 10th century, the settlement was designated Amaia de Ibn Maruán or, alternately, the fortress of Amaia. Christian forces loyal to King D. Afonso I (1112–1185) conquered the region and town from Moorish forces sometime between 1160 and 1166.

With the demarcation of Castelo Branco in 1214, Marvão was already included within Portuguese territory. The first foral (charter) was issued in 1226 by King D. Sancho II (1223–1248), done to ensure the development of the unpopulated outpost, against repeated attacks from the Kingdom of Castile. The castle briefly fell into Almohad hands in the 1190s.

Within the next few years, King D. Afonso III donated the fortified settlement to the Order of Malta (1271), later awarded to his son, D. Afonso Sanches, along with landlords of the castles in Arronches, Vide and Portalegre. For this reason, at the beginning the reign of King D. Dinis (1279–1325), the village and its castle found themselves involved in the dispute between the sovereign and D. Afonso, and was conquered by the forces of the sovereign in 1299.  At the end of these events, the fields of Marvão, Portalegre and Arronches were exchanged for those in Sintra and Ourém, becoming regal possessions/property by 1300.  D. Dinis issued a new foral, and undertook the expansion and strengthening of defenses, resulting in the construction of the keep.

During the reign of Ferdinand I of Portugal (1367–1383), the king established Marvão for a place of sanctuary (1378). His death immediately sparked the 1383-1385 Portuguese succession crisis, and was included in the possessions of the Order of Avis. The new sovereign and his successors granted many privileges to the village in 1407, 1436 and 1497 aimed at increasing its settlement and defense. At that stage, they have also proceeded to increase the reinforcements to the walls, with turrets dating back to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In the successive years (1407, 1436 and 1497) various privileges were bestowed on the village in order to expand settlement.

Between 15th and 16th century, the fortifications were reinforced, as evidenced by the corbels.

The castle saw further construction and remodeling in the 17th, 18th and 19th century, reinforcing the bastions. Between 1640 and 1662, during the Restoration War, the castle were repaired, including alterations to the line of walls, gates and barbicans that were in state of ruins, as well as necessary repairs to the town's defenses. From a report by Nicolau de Langres, the infantry garrison and cavalry left the castle of Castelo de Vide for Marvão, resulting in a complement of 400. This concentration made the castle the primary line of defense. In 1641, Spanish forces attacked the fortress at Marvão, followed by a second wave in 1648. Repairs to the walls were undertaken in 1662, to remediate the damaged caused during the Restoration Wars, under the direction of Luís Serrão Pimentel.

Between 1704 and 1705, the fortress was taken by Spanish forces, but surrendered to Portuguese forces under the command of the Count of São João. Later in 1772, Spanish forces assaulted the fortress.

The beginning of the Peninsular Wars saw Jean-Andoche Junot's French corps intercede with the support of their Spanish allies, but in 1808, the military square was liberated.

Similarly, on December 12, 1833, Marvão was taken by Liberal forces. Within the year, the settlement was besieged by Miguel Ricardo de Álava's forces.

In 1938, the DGMEN Direcção Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (Directorate General for Buildings and National Monuments) began working on repairing the walls, staircases and battlements. In proceeding years there were other projects to improve the condition of the castle that included: the walls, ceilings, tile and doors in 1947; the renovation of the Roman ceilings and plastering of the interior placements, repair of the walls, arched doorways, pavement, stone sill and exterior door in 1952; reconstruction of the walls and base of the cornerstones in 1957; demolition of the battlements along the castle, repair of other walls, bartizans, gates and painting of the artillery pieces in 1958.

On 21 October 1960, the castle was included in the Special Protection Zone and non aedificandi zone, which was later revoked in 1962. The following year, repairs to the museum ceiling and other dependencies of the castle, construction of the roadway around the castle and a staircase to the tower keep terrace was undertaken. Other repairs continued in 1962, that included to the walls, ceilings and gates. This projects conditioned in the successive years with projects to clean, reinforce and repair the walls and other aspects of the fortification.

The castle was illuminated in 1994, and in 1995, the buildings in the square, the walls and exterior spaces were repaired or improved. The southern barbican was destroyed in 1997, near the children's garden park, but was re-constructed between 1998 and 1999.

In 2002, the general plan to repair nine parts of the structure was initiated under direction of DREMS. The following year, a tender by DGMEN was issued to complete repairs in the castle. This project benefited the walls and the path towards the bartizan over the Vila Gate and was extended to the tower. Reclamation of the hearth and guardhouse was also included in these tasks. A similar tender was issued in March 2004 by the municipal government to improve the site's illumination, which included improvements to the electrical system and telephone network, in addition to the construction of a de-mountable stage. This was later expanded between 2005 and 2006, under the pretext of program of ant-vandalism, the public illumination was improved.

In 2013, the Centro Cultural de Marvão (Cultural Centre of Marvão) received the concession to manage and operate the Marvão castle.

Castle of Marvão

O Castelo de Castelo de Vide, no Alentejo, localiza-se na freguesia de Santa Maria da Devesa, povoação e concelho de Castelo de Vide, distrito de Portalegre, em Portugal.

Em posição dominante no alto de uma colina a norte da serra de São Mamede, revestia-se de importância estratégica devido à sua proximidade com a fronteira. Devido ao esplendor da paisagem circundante, a povoação é conhecida localmente como a Sintra do Alentejo.

História

Antecedentes

Povoação situada a cavaleiro do trajeto da antiga estrada romana que ligava à então capital peninsular, Mérida, não foram identificadas evidências arqueológicas acerca da ocupação romana de seu sítio. Também não existem informações acerca das origens medievais de Castelo de Vide.

O castelo medieval

À época da Reconquista cristã da Península Ibérica, algumas evidências não comprovadas apontam uma suposta conquista por D. Afonso Henriques (1112-1185) em 1148, bem como a outorga de foral em 1180. Sabe-se, com mais segurança, que a povoação encontrava-se no domínio do reino de Portugal em 1232, revestindo-se de importância e tendo organização municipal já em 1276.

O seu senhorio foi disputado entre dois dos filhos de Afonso III, o primogênito, o rei D. Dinis (1279-1325) e seu irmão, o Infante D. Afonso Sanches, por motivos de direitos de sucessão quando o primeiro subiu ao trono. Tendo o infante D. Afonso recebido de seu pai o senhorio dos domínios de Arronches, Castelo de Vide, Marvão e Portalegre (1273), decidiu, em 1279, muralhar Castelo de Vide (o que indica a sua primazia sobre as vilas vizinhas, à época). Como alardeava direitos de sucessão pretensamente maiores que os do irmão D. Dinis, entendeu o soberano que essa atitude ocultava intenções bélicas, colocou-se em marcha à frente de suas tropas e veio a colocar cerco à vila (Abril de 1281). Na iminência do assalto, chegou ao acampamento real uma embaixada do reino de Aragão, com a proposta de casamento do soberano com D. Isabel, futura Rainha Santa Isabel. Com a interveniência desta embaixada, acordou-se a paz entre os irmãos, vindo D. Afonso a concordar com a demolição de todas as fortificações que havia empreendido (uma torre e vários troços de muros). Um novo incidente envolvendo Castelo de Vide teria lugar a partir de 1299, suscitado pelo matrimônio do infante D. Afonso com uma infanta de Castela. Devido à proximidade dos senhorios do infante com a raia lindeira com aquele reino, os seus domínios alentejanos foram permutados por Sintra, Ourém e outras vilas mais distantes da fronteira. Estes castelos alentejanos foram então entregues a Aires Pires Cabral, quarto avô do navegador Pedro Álvares Cabral, que deles prestou menagem, na função de Alcaide-mor. O soberano determinou, a partir de então, o reforço do castelo e a construção de uma nova cerca envolvendo a povoação. Estes trabalhos foram concluídos, conforme inscrição epigráfica sobre uma das portas do castelo, junto à Rua Direita, em 1327, sob o reinado de D. Afonso IV (1325-1357).

Sob o reinado de D. Fernando (1367-1383), a vila, o castelo e seus domínios foram entregues Ordem de Avis, por permuta com os de Castro Marim (1383). Com a morte deste soberano, aberta a crise de 1383-1385, a vila inicialmente declarou o seu apoio à herdeira D. Beatriz, passando, quando do cerco de Lisboa (1384), a apoiar o partido do Mestre de Avis. Nas lutas que se seguiram, é destacado o valor do Alcaide de Castelo de Vide, Gonçalo Anes, particularmente na batalha de Aljubarrota e na batalha de Valverde.

Sob a regência de D. Pedro, duque de Coimbra, durante a menoridade de D. Afonso V (1438-1481), foram reforçadas as defesas dos castelos da raia alentejana, entre os quais se incluía o Castelo de Vide. Seria esse o aspecto que teria sob o reinado de D. Manuel I (1495-1521), quando se encontra figurado por Duarte de Armas no seu Livro das Fortalezas (c. 1509): uma barbacã ameada precedendo uma muralha envolvente da praça de armas reforçada por torreões nos vértices, conjunto dominado por uma sólida torre de menagem.

Da Guerra da Restauração aos nossos dias

Uma nova etapa arquitectónica teve lugar no final do século XVII, contexto da Guerra da Restauração da independência portuguesa, quando lhe foram introduzidas modernizações visando adaptá-la aos modernos tidos da artilharia. Os trabalhos iniciaram-se já em 1641, ampliados a partir de 1644 sob projeto e direção do engenheiro-militar e arquitecto francês, Nicolau de Langres. Anos mais tarde, em 1660, no auge desse processo de fortificação, a praça encontrava-se constituída por dois núcleos principais: o do castelo, a oeste, e o Forte de São Roque, a leste, interligados por extensa linha de muralhas abaluartadas. A guarnição, à época era de 600 homens e três companhias de cavalaria, indicativa da sua importância estratégica.

Posteriormente, a praça foi cercada e conquistada durante a Guerra da Sucessão Espanhola (1704), ocupada sem resistência durante a chamada Guerra das Laranjas (1801) e, por tropas francesas sob o comando de André Massena, durante a Guerra Peninsular. (1811). A destruição sofrida desde então levou à sua desativação a partir de 1823, quando se acentuou o seu processo de degradação.

O conjunto encontra-se classificado como Monumento Nacional por Decreto publicado em 23 de Junho de 1910.

Características

O castelo medieval apresenta planta quadrangular, orgânica (adaptada ao terreno), com os panos de muralha reforçados por cinco torres quadrangulares e cubelos circulares, precedida por uma barbacã ameada. A Porta da Vila rasga-se no troço a leste, constituída por um amplo portal duplo que acede uma pequena praça de armas, ligando com a porta interna oeste. No troço norte subsistem vestígios das mísulas de um antigo balcão e ainda duas janelas. Entre duas das torres podem ser identificados traços da primitiva alcáçova. No interior da praça de armas dispõem-se as edificações de serviço, como os armazéns.

A torre de menagem dionisina, adossada ao portão principal, foi parcialmente destruída por uma explosão de pólvora em 1705, a qual danificou a abóbada ogival de nervuras.

A cerca externa envolvia a vila, onde bem conservada, destacam-se a Rua Direita, os antigos aquartelamentos na Rua de Santo António, a Casa da Câmara e Cadeia, entre outras edificações. Era rasgada por quatro portas, das quais subsistem a Porta Nova e a Porta de Santa Catarina. Com o crescimento da povoação perderam-se partes dessa cerca, a Porta de São João e a Porta da Aramenha.

Castelo de Castelo de Vide

O Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Flor da Rosa, também referido como Mosteiro da Ordem do Hospital de Flor da Rosa, localiza-se na freguesia de Flor da Rosa, concelho do Crato, distrito de Portalegre, em Portugal.

Considerado o mais importante exemplo de mosteiro fortificado existente na Península Ibérica, nele está instalada, em nossos dias, uma das unidades das Pousadas de Portugal.

História

Mandado construir em 1356 por D. Álvaro Gonçalves Pereira, primeiro Prior do Crato e pai do Santo Condestável, D. Nuno Álvares Pereira foi, segundo historiadores o local de nascimento deste.

Em 1232 o Rei D. Sancho II doou a povoação do Crato à Ordem dos Hospitalários. Foi em 1340 que a sede da Ordem do Hospital foi alterada de Leça do Bailio ou de Belver, para o Crato, tendo logo o Prior do Crato, D. Álvaro Gonçalves Pereira, decidido fundar uma capela na localidade. Com o crescimento da Ordem é então erguido este Mosteiro, casa-mãe da Ordem em Portugal, fundado em 1356. A partir do século XVI, a Ordem do Hospital passou a denominar-se Ordem de Malta, nome que ainda hoje conserva.

Actualmente, o Mosteiro abriga o túmulo do fundador, uma pousada da Enatur e o Núcleo de Escultura Medieval do Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga.

Características

Este mosteiro é composto por três edificações distintas: a igreja-fortaleza de estilo gótico, um paço-acastelado gótico, já com alterações quinhentistas, e as restantes dependências conventuais já renascentistas e mudéjares. Todo o conjunto tem sido alterado ao longo dos séculos, nomeadamente nos século XVI e XVII e mais tarde no século XX, onde houve uma maior preocupação de preservação do plano original gótico. De facto já no tempo do Rei D. Manuel I o espaço monástico é alargado para um maior número de aposentos, transformando-o num Paço Real, e com o grande terramoto de 1755 e um temporal devastador em 1897 que se fez sofrer na área, o conjunto teria sofrido grandes desgastes.

O Mosteiro da Ordem do Hospital de Flor da Rosa foi classificado como Monumento Nacional em 1910 e, na década de 1940, começaram as obras de restauro. Mais tarde, em 1991 iniciam-se os trabalhos de reconversão para Pousada de Portugal, pelo Arquitecto João Luís Carrilho da Graça, aberta ao público em 1995 e transformando-se este legado patrimonial numa das mais aclamadas Pousadas do País, a Pousada Flor da Rosa.

Em julho de 2009, após um conjunto alargado de acções de investigação, recuperação e valorização realizados neste Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Flor da Rosa, mais concretamente na ala não afecta à pousada, o monumento é aberto ao público visitante com uma área de acolhimento e interpretação onde são disponibilizados diferentes serviços de apoio que permitirão, quer uma melhor compreensão de toda a história deste sítio, quer as condições adequadas de recepção. O que permitiu a instalação do Núcleo de Escultura Medieval do Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga e uma exposição de escultura de João Cutileiro, na nave da igreja.

Castelo de Flor da Rosa

Alter do Chão Castle is a medieval stronghold classified as a national monument. The monument can be visited in the historic city center. It was built on the order of King Alfonso II in 1216. The fortress was placed on a strategic place for the defense of the area, on a 270 meter high hill.

A well-preserved medieval fortress is one of the region's greatest tourist attractions. The area inhabited since the pre-Romanesque times was occupied by Portuguese forces in the second decade of the thirteenth century. Built on a square plan, the fortress has slate and granite walls, reinforced with six towers, with a 44-meter watchtower.

A visit to the castle of Alter do Chão is an interesting history lesson for anyone who would like to face a steep staircase, climb the main tower and admire the beautiful view of the countryside. Many permanent historical and cultural exhibitions are currently organized among the medieval walls.

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