Castle of Alvor

Parish de Alvor

Background

Recent archaeological research has shown that the primitive human occupation of this site is very ancient, with Ipses, an important fortified pre-Roman commercial center, having been located here, which maintained its activity during the Roman occupation and afterwards. At the time of the Muslim occupation, the defensive system of this town became more dense, although it is not yet fully understood by scholars: the defense provided by the Moorish castle was reinforced by complementary redoubts, between it and the sea.

The most striking vestige still existing is located near the village of Figueira, in the Abicada area, at the confluence of two streams, where a Roman archaeological site with several rooms can be found. Also in the Coca Maravilhas area, a cistern from this period was discovered, which is very well preserved.

In the Arade River, several archaeological finds were found, including gold coins.

The medieval castle

In the context of the campaign to conquer Silves, Sancho I of Portugal (1185-1211) attempted to take Alvor in 1187. Later, with the reinforcement of an armada of Crusaders from Denmark and Friesland, they attacked and conquered Alvor Castle (1189), anticipating the siege and capture of Silves Castle, depending on who signed up. The position of Silves was maintained by the Christians until 1191.

Although it remained one of the main towns in the Algarve, due to the excellence of its cove, and King John II (1481-1495) died here, no information has been found about the evolution of the military architecture of the town and its castle.

During the time of the Philippine Dynasty, at the turn of the 16th century into the 17th century, in the context of conflicts between Spain and the powers of the North, the Algarve's maritime fortifications were modernized and reinforced. Regarding Alvor, Alexandre Massai, a Neapolitan military engineer in the service of Spain, referred to its defense as a small, square fort (Descripção do Reino do Algarve..., 1621), ineffective compared to the artillery capacity of the time. This reason contributed to the abandonment of the structure in favor of new fortifications, concentrating forces at key points on the southern coast of Portugal.

Given the loss of its defensive function, the castle was progressively involved by the growth of the population over the centuries, eventually falling into ruins.

From the 20th century to the present day

At the end of the 20th century, the castle was considered a Property of Public Interest, by Decree of June 25, 1984, and was transformed into a children's garden, in commemoration of the Christian conquest of the village.

Features

The castle has a quadrangular plan, with its walls, in the Islamic style, built with irregular stone blocks arranged horizontally, rising to more than five meters in height in several sections. The existence of a battlement is deduced from the existence of a staircase attached to the southern sector of the wall, although the current state of the monument does not allow us to say whether the walls were crenellated.

The main access door, at an angle, is the last remaining original element, and it is believed to have been originally defended by a barrack tower. To the east, you can see the remains of a tower which, given its height, would have allowed observation of the movement in the cove.

It is believed that the current Alvor Castle corresponds only to the primitive Islamic citadel. The village must also have been originally surrounded by a belt of walls, which have not survived to this day.