Castle of Vila Viçosa

Parish de Vila Viçosa

Background

Although there is no reliable information, judging by the testimony of tombstones found in the region, it is believed that the primitive human occupation of this place dates back to the Roman Invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. As it is close to the Roman road that connected Évora to Mérida, some authors believe that this occupation of its elevation was carried out by some small fortification.

The medieval castle of Vila Viçosa was built in the 13th century, but the complex has been the subject of multiple works over time. A large part of the original fortification still remains, with three gates harmoniously defended by pairs of cylindrical towers, as was usual in the Gothic period.

The medieval castle

At the time of the Christian À época da Reconquista of the peninsula, when Portuguese nationality was affirmed, the region was dominated after the conquest of Alcácer do Sal (1217).

Although it is not possible to say whether a primitive settlement was abandoned and reoccupied, or whether its Christian settlement was late, it is certain that Vila Viçosa received its Charter from Afonso III of Portugal (1248-1279), issued on June 5, 1270. Construction of its castle began at this time, and his son and successor, Denis of Portugal (1279-1325), gave effective impetus to it, finishing its construction and erecting the town's walls.

During the reign of Fernando I of Portugal I (1367-1383), as was done in several castles in the kingdom, important improvements were made to the fortifications of Vila Viçosa.

When the crisis of 1383-1385 came to an end, the domains of Vila Viçosa were included in the vast donation made by John I of Portugal (1385-1433) to the Constable of the Kingdom, D. Nuno Álvares Pereira, in reward for services rendered.

The town, in turn, passed to his grandson, Fernando I of Portugal, Count of Arraiolos, by donation on April 4, 1422. As he became the 2nd Duke of Bragança and was accustomed to the Alentejo plains, he did not want to settle in the Palace of Guimarães. Thus, he had a palace built in Vila Viçosa Castle, elevating this location to the status of seat of the Duchy of Bragança.

His son, Fernando I of Portugal, 3rd Duke of Bragança, was however accused by King John II of Portugal of treason, for which he was beheaded in Évora. As a result, the family went into exile in Castile, abandoning the castle of Vila Viçosa, where they lived.

Once they returned, Duke D. Jaime de Bragança did not want to live in the palace associated with the tragic memory of his father and, having arranged his marriage with the Spanish noblewoman D. Leonor, daughter of the Duke of Medina Sidónia, he had the current Ducal Palace built in 1501, where he lived since his marriage the following year. Also at his request, several works were carried out on the castle, including the Manueline style bastions/Turrets and the defensive moat.

From the Portuguese Restoration War to the present day

In the context of the Portuguese Restoration War, the castle was reinforced with a new belt of walls, built between 1663 and 1664, with a plan in the shape of a star-shaped polygon, adapted to the then modern artillery. Thus defended, the town successfully resisted the assault by Spanish troops under the command of the Marquis of Caracena, who were then defeated, in a nearby location, by Portuguese troops under the command of the Marquis of Marialva, in the Battle of Montes Claros (1665).

It is classified as a National Monument by Decree published on 23 June 1910.

The castle, owned by the Fundação da Casa de Bragança, underwent consolidation and restoration work at various times throughout the 20th century, and served as an inn for a few years. It currently houses the Hunting Museum, which houses the private collection of Manuel Lopo Caroça de Carvalho, and the Foundation's Archaeology Museum.

Features

The medieval castle has a square plan, with walls measuring approximately sixty meters on each side, reinforced, at the west and east corners, by large circular Turrets. Its northwest face and part of the northeast were common to the village's fence. Inside it was built the main church, headquarters of the town's first parish, and which today is the important Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Conception of Vila Viçosa, proclaimed patron saint of Portugal in 1646.

The Keep was only built during the reign of Fernando I of Portugal, away from the castle, in front of a door in the middle of the southwest section of the town's fence, to which it was connected by a walkway.

Delimiting an area of ​​about three hectares, the town's fence, with an irregular pentagonal plan, is broken up by several gates, including the so-called Porta de Évora, the Porta de Estremoz and the Porta de Olivença.