Top 5 Castles around Nossa Senhora Da Vila

Arraiolos is a pleasant Alentejo town, whose foundation dates back to the second century BC. The mediaeval castle was built at the orders of D. Dinis (1279-1325), although the town soon spread beyond its walls. An important part of the town's artistic heritage is the sixteenth-century Salvador church, with some extremely beautiful paintings. The name of this town is well known internationally thanks to the famous Arraiolos carpets, which are produced here by the local craftsmen and women, having been referred to in documents as long ago as the sixteenth century. Some art historians have devoted themselves to studying and characterising this art, which has continued to grow in importance over the years. The types of pattern that are used can be divided into three distinct periods: the first period (in the eighteenth century) was based on compositions that betrayed the decorative influences of Persian carpets (these are considered to be amongst some of the finest examples); the second period (again in the eighteenth century) brought popularly inspired designs, such as figures or animals; and the third period (at the end of the eighteenth century and continuing into the nineteenth century) brought less dense and much more stylised patterns.

The Arraiolos Castle, or Paço dos Alcaides, is a 14th century castle located in Central Alentejo. Although it is not the largest castle in the region, it has a curious and almost unique peculiarity in the world, which makes it stand out in an area of the country with so many buildings of this type: its layout is circular architecture. For those who arrive in the town of Arraiolos (or pass through the surrounding region) it is impossible not to see the Arraiolos Castle, which stands proudly in the landscape, at the top of Monte de São Pedro. Historically, the Arraiolos Castle has had several roles. It was built in 1306 by D. Dinis, housing the population within its walls. Later it was the county seat of D. Nuno Álvares Pereira, 2nd Count of Arraiolos, who lived here for many years. Due to the cold and wind resulting from its location, it ended up losing many of its inhabitants. In an attempt to keep some of the population inside the walls, they began to be closed every night after the bell rang, which continued for several decades. However, the population eventually spread out along the surrounding slopes and three centuries after it was built, the Castle began to be looted for materials, eventually falling into ruins. It was during the reign of King John IV that it underwent major renovation work, but it eventually fell into ruins again, worsened by the earthquake of 1755. Between 1959 and 1963, it was partially restored by the State, achieving the appearance it still has today.

Montemor-o-Novo Castle is located in the parish of Nossa Senhora da Vila, in the municipality of Montemor-o-Novo, in the district of Évora, in Alentejo, Portugal. In a dominant position on the highest hill in the region, the castle originally sheltered the village within its walls, which, as it developed, expanded along the slope to the north. Historical documents confirm that Vasco da Gama finalized his plans for his voyage to India in this castle. Background The earliest human occupation of this site possibly dates back to a prehistoric Romanized fort, according to the abundant archaeological evidence in the region. This was where the Roman roads from Santarém and the mouth of the River Tagus met, continuing via Évora to Mérida. The site would have been fortified for this reason. Centuries later, during the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, the name Almançor remained in the region, in the toponymy of the Almansor river. Some authors claim that there was also a Muslim fortification here. The medieval castle During the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the town was conquered by Portuguese forces under the command of D. Sancho I (1185-1211). With a view to repopulating and defending it, the sovereign granted it a Charter in 1203. It is believed that the construction of the medieval castle began at this stage. During the reign of D. Dinis (1279-1325), major reforms were undertaken to the town's defences, including the construction of the town's fence, which was completed in 1365. Once the Avis dynasty was established, the domain of Montemor-o-Novo became a third part of the lordship of Constable D. Nuno Álvares Pereira. Throughout the 15th century, the castle underwent renovation work, carried out by master stonemason Afonso Mendes de Oliveira. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the town reached its greatest prosperity, due not only to regional trade, but also to the fact that the Court remained for long periods in Évora, which made the town the scene of events such as the Cortes of 1495, when King Manuel I (1495-1521) decided to discover the sea route to India. This sovereign granted the town a new charter in 1503. Later, under the reign of King Sebastian (1557-1578), it was granted the title of Notable Town (1563), considering it to be an ancient place with a large population.

Symbol of Montemor-o-Novo

Giraldo Castle, or Geraldo Castle, is located in Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, in the current parish of Nossa Senhora da Tourega and Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, in the Municipality of Évora, District of Évora, in Portugal. It is a castro, a proto-historic fortified structure with origins in the Bronze Age or even the Chalcolithic, but with traces of later occupations. It has a subcircular plan and an outer perimeter of 114 meters. The wall that has survived to the present day probably belonged to a period of medieval occupation. Sources from the 15th century refer to the fortification, associating it with the presence of Geraldo Sem Pavor, a warrior who conquered Évora from the Muslims in 1165. It is currently in the process of being classified.

The site in Nossa Senhora da Tourega e Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe has been continuously occupied since 3000 B.C. and 1000 A.D. It was founded on a castro fortified proto-historic structure, with its origin in the Bronze Age, Chalcolithic, with vestiges from older settlements. During the Middle Ages it was sporadically re-occupied and reconstructed. Records from the 15th century indicate that the castle was associated with Giraldo Sem Pavor, a warrior who conquered Évora from the Muslims in 1165. Today the site is being analyzed for classification.

The Clock Tower is currently the symbol of the city of Montemor-o-Novo. Built during the reign of King Dinis (13th – 14th centuries), it became the castle’s main defence tower. It underwent major renovations in the 16th century, when the Guard House was incorporated and a bell tower was installed to hold the clock bells. The clock had three bronze bells: one for the hours, another for the half-hours and the last for the quarter-hours. The main access door to the castle is located under the Clock Tower. It is called the town or Santarém gate. Classification: MN – National Monument, Decree no. 38 147, DG, 1st series, no. 4 of 5 January 1951 *1 / ZEP / “Non-built” zone, DG, 2nd series, no. 177 of 28 July 1962

Montemor-o-Novo Castle is the original site of the medieval town of Montemor-o-Novo. This castle was conquered from the Moors by order of D. Afonso Henriques, and its current walls were built during the reign of D. Dinis. It was gradually abandoned by the population from the 15th century onwards, and today it preserves important testimonies of the medieval and modern history of Montemor-o-Novo, such as sections of the wall, the Paço dos Alcaides, the Church of Santiago (currently the Castle Interpretation Centre), the Church of Santa Maria do Bispo, the Clock Tower, the Porta da Vila, the Porta do Anjo, the Torre da Má Hora and the Convento da Saudação. (Source: https://www.feriasemportugam.com)