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Portugal - Castles Tour: Granite Mountains and the Lines of the Tejo
By Jayme Henriques Simões
Apr 27, 2006, 08:01
Portugal - Castles Tour: Granite Mountains and the Lines of the Tejo
The Beiras along the western frontier with Spain is the heart of ancient castle country, with every major town and village having some form of fortification. The area is also the most mountainous of the country, with the Serra de Estrela range reaching to almost 6,000 feet above sea level. Secondary roads can be very windy and often uphill, and some are closed by snow in the winter.
Hiking is found in the Serra de Estrela and Serra de Malcata natural parks. The Beiras end at the Tejo River, which became the border between the new kingdom of Portugal and the Moorish lands to the south in 1147. Here, a line of castles rose under religious order designed to defend the newborn nation, while allowing a base to launch the Reconquest. The ring and line of castles, granite landscapes, and friendly folk make it a wonderful off-the-beaten-path adventure.
Where to Stay:
Guarda - The coldest city in Portugal has good lodging at the centrally located Hotel de Turismo. The city retains much of its old fortifications, and its Gothic cathedral is considered one of the finest in the country. The town’s old quarter is quite picturesque.
Almeida - The star of the 18th century Vauban school of fortification, Almeida is a must see for its perfect star shaped walls.
The Pousadas de Portugal has converted many monuments into fine hotels that celebrate rather than destroy the buildings that they inhabit. Almedia’s Pousada, built in the old fort, is a comfortable way to enjoy this colorful frontier town. It is also a good point to explore the many castles that made this part of the country so inhospitable to invaliding armies.
Castelo Branco - True to its name, the old Templar’s Castle still watches over this regional capital. The famed gardens of the Bishop’s Palace have amazing statues of the kings of Portugal, with the three “Spanish Kings” half the size of their Portuguese counterparts.
Monsanto - This village in the clouds is a window to the past, and it commands a view of all below. Build at the foot of the castle and in the historic village walls, the Pousada of Monsanto is an experience in itself. And this is a great base to explore the surrounding countryside of the Beira Baixa.
What to See: North to South
Penadono (E229) - To the Portuguese, this tiny town will always be associated with the great Álvaro Gonçalves Coutinho, a 15th century knight nicknamed “Magriço,” or “the thin one.” This roaming knight was immortalized in the masterpiece of Portuguese literature “Os Lusiadas,” by Luis Vaz de Camões. The tales goes that Magriço was one of 12 knights who responded to a call for help from 12 English ladies, whose honor needed to be defended. While 11 of the knights travelled by sea to fight the offending English knights, Magriço chose to follow a land route to England. On the day of the fight for the ladies' honor, the eleven Portuguese prepared to take the field of honor against the twelve Englishmen. Suddenly, Magriço, fresh from all sorts of adventures, appeared on horseback and led his comrades to a resounding victory.
The castle of Penadono belonged to the Coutinhos, and is one of the most magnificent in all of Portugal. Its reddish towers loom over the small town, rising to fantastic heights. The castle dates to the 10th century, but fanciful structure that dominates the town of Penadono today is mostly from the 15th century. The ornate towers, mighty red walls and imposing location guard nothing but an empty space that once was the palace of the Coutinho family and a endless view.
Marialva (EN102) - The village of Marialva is really two places: A small village of humble homes, and a long abandoned walled town. One of only a handful of ghostly walled villages in Portugal, what remains of Marialva is its roofless houses and empty square with its fine pillory. The place seems haunted, and its history confirms that Marialva was a stage for dramatic happening. The town predates the Roman invasion, and was later taken by the Visigoths. After the 711 invasion of the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors, the entire area around Marialva was abandoned until conquered by the Portuguese in the 12th century. But neighboring Castile also claimed the lands of the Côa River, and only in a 1297 treaty did Portugal gain full title to the area. The castle was rebuilt and expanded, and the town had returned to prosperity.
But, the town’s fortunes were aligned with the powerful Távoras family, whose feud with the powerful dictator, the Marques de Pombal, in the 18th century led to the abandonment of the village. Today the granite walls are ruined, but in good shape overall with a central keep, a few castled towers, and dozens or ruined homes. The roofless remains of the parish church preside over the town square, with its delicately caped pillory. Time stopped in Marialva, but the empty ruins are rich in history and memories.
Sabugal (EN233) - “A castle with fives sides is not be found in Portugal,” says the old song, “If not on the banks of the Côa, in the village of Sabugal.” And true to its word, the keep of the castle of Sabugal is pentagonal. It is quite a castle at that. As the first walls rose in the 12th century’s Ogival style, the small town became a battleground, first between a young Portugal and the Moorish armies, and then between Portugal and Castile. A legend has it that the kings of both nations met in the castle in 1224 to work out the disputed border. Almost a century later, the lands were still in dispute, leading King D. Dinis to expand the castle, adding an unprecedented five sided keep, a solid new ring of walls, and a subtle message to the Castilians: This was a Portuguese town. Sabugal retained its importance in 15th century when King D. Manuel I ordered it repaired, adding elegant balconies with murder holes, and cross-shaped archer’s loops. The town played an important role in the 1640s during the war of independence from Spain, with the legendary adventurer and soldier Bras Garcia de Mascarenhas winning important battles in the region until his rebellious spirit landed him a cell in one of Sabugal’s towers. From his prison he wrote a series of moving letters that eventually convinced the king, D. João IV to free him. Today, the restored castle retains its ancient might with well preserved rings of circular, delicately castellated walls, and a five-sided keep that still proclaims: This is Portugal.
Sortelha (10 km south of Sabugal) - Few granite towns seem so lost in the past as Sortelha. Rising as the tip of a granite hill, Sortelha with its few hundred inhabitants is a magical place. Not only is the original town still enclosed in uneven walls, but also the houses have barely evolved from the 14th century. It is a place of timeless beauty lost in a modern world. Here once stood a Celtic village, followed by a Roman town, and finally in the 13th century, a Portuguese frontier village. In 1228 D. Sancho I ordered the town refortified. It was repaired over the centuries, but eventually lost its military significance and the castle was abandoned. Yet, it remained in relatively good condition, and today is a wonderful example of an early Portuguese castle. The village’s partially ruined town walls and door less gates welcome the visitor to a place of granite faced elders, roaming chickens, and donkeys in the streets. The visitor is still greeted with a “Good Day,” by the locals. The castle itself lies at the center of the town and is ship-like and simple, built of square granite rocks, and a simple keep. The Ogival doors, simple balcony with murder hole, and amazing views make Sortelha a true voyage to another time.
Idanha-a-Velha (E332) - At its height, the Roman city of Igaeditânia boasted a population of 200,000. It was once had a cathedral, and was a major center of commerce. Today, Idanha-a-Velha has about 350 inhabitants, and lots of memories. It began in 16 BC, when fertile and gold-rich soil led the Emperor Augustus to order the town built. It prospered with the Pax Romana. When that era ended in the 4th century, the town was destroyed by barbarians. The newly arrived Visigoths rebuilt and repaired the walls and town in the 6th century. The Visigoth King Womba was born in Idanha-a-Velha’s walls, and he had a great cathedral built. By the 8th century, the Moors had arrived, and Idanha-a-Velha found itself in a no man’s land between Christians to the north, and Moors to the south. The town was abandoned. D. Sancho I finally claimed Idanha-a-Velha for Portugal in the 13th century, but it never recovered its past glory.
The crumbling walls and towers still mask more ancient remains, like the ruins of a temple to Augustus under a tower from the 14th century. The town is living museum, as slow excavations reveal how such a tiny place had such a mighty past.
Amieira do Tejo (Off the IP6) - A perfect square, flanked by four towers, is the design of this unique castle. No other Portuguese castle shares its design, and none rises from the banks of a river with equal majesty. The castle was edified in the 14th century by Álvaro Gonçalves Pereira, a knight-turned-monk and father of the legendary Nuno Álvares Pereira. Today, its particular and square-like design is unique. The well-preserved main tower offers several amply Gothic rooms, and the original cistern and parade square are well maintained. Amieira retains a bold view, and special setting that transcends the centuries.
Belver (Off the IP6) - Lovely to view, that’s what Belver means. And, legend has it that King D. Sancho I ordered the knights of St. John of the Hospital to build a castle on a fine hill overlooking the Tejo River. In truth, D. Sancho’s job was not an easy one. He had to continue father’s fight and began against the Moors to the south, keep the peace with the Castilians, and hold onto a defensive line at the Tejo River. To achieve the final part, he turned to religious military orders, and in 1194, the knights of St. John began to build their castle, which they defended until 1350, when the Order of Crato took on the task. The castle served as a base for attack to the south, while its high walls and impressive keep deterred Moorish assaults. Belver’s castle still dominates the highest hill on a green and yellow bank of the Tejo, with a small village in its lap. The fine walls, which are in good repair, circle the keep in the shape of a pear. The walls offer breathtaking views of the Tejo, and a sense as to how Belver got its name.
Jayme Henriques Simões, President of Louis Karno & Company, and
frequent visitor to Portugal.
Jayme is the current president of the Public Relations Society of America
Yankee Chapter, and is the 2003 recipient of the Union Leader¹s ³40 Under 40
Award,² which honors New Hampshire¹s outstanding young professionals. Simões
founded the agency in 1999, using capital from a 90-year-old, family-run
business. A Chicago native who graduated with honors from Boston University
with a degree in Communications and Public Relations, Simões speaks
Portuguese and Spanish.
He has served on several not-for-profit boards, including the Hillsborough
Historical Society (president 1995-1996), New Hampshire Lodging and
Restaurant Association (1997), Citizens for Land and Community Heritage
(1999), The New Hampshire Travel Council (2000-present), Dartmouth Hitchcock
Medical Center Assembly of Overseers (2004-present), and he was the
chairperson of The Franklin Pierce Bicentennial Commission.
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