Castle of Castro Marim

Parish of Castro Marim

Background

Archaeological research carried out in the 1980s indicates that the primitive human occupation of Morro do Castelo dates back to prehistoric times, at the end of the Bronze Age. Since then, there has been no interruption in the occupation of the mouth of the Guadiana River, always linked to maritime trade in the Mediterranean Sea, successively by Phoenician, Greek (854 BC) and Carthaginian (end of the 4th century BC) navigators until it was destroyed by a strong earthquake before the arrival of the Romans.

The oldest defensive wall identified in the enclosure of the current castle dates back to the 8th century BC, having been added to by other structures in the following centuries, in particular between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC, when trade with Greek cities intensified.

At the time of the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the Guadiana River served as a border between the provinces of Baetica and Lusitania. The town was reoccupied and its fortifications rebuilt, becoming an important regional political and economic center. From here, the busy roads that linked Besuris (Castro Marim) to Mírtilis Júlia (Mértola, to the north), Ossónoba (Faro) and Balsa, along the coast (to the west) and Onoba Astuária (Huelva, to the east) departed.

Later, while maintaining its importance, it was occupied by Vandals and Muslims, some authors attributing to the latter the construction of the primitive castle, with a square plan, with semi-circular towers at the corners.

The medieval castle

At the time of the Christian À época da Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the region was reached by Portuguese forces in the 1230s. Sancho II of Portugal of Portugal reached the mouth of the Guadiana River where he conquered Mértola and Ayamonte (1238). The conquest of Castro Marim took place next, under the command of the Master of the Order of Santiago, D. Paio Peres Correia (1242). From then on, the crown promoted the repopulation of the Algarve, under the responsibility of the Military Orders. Castro Marim received a Charter issued by Afonso III of Portugal of Portugal on July 8, 1277, with the determination to rebuild its defenses.

Under the reign of Denis of Portugal (1279-1325), the reconstruction of the castle gate was started, according to the epigraphic inscription (July 1, 1279). The sovereign confirms and expands the town's charter (May 1, 1282). Later, due to the negotiation and signing of the Treaty of Alcanices (12 September 1297), when Portugal gave up the domains of Aroche, Ayamonte, Aracena and others, receiving in exchange those of Campo Maior, Olivença and others in the region, the sovereign ordered the reinforcement of the Castle of Castro Marim (1303) and the construction of a Barbican. These structures became known respectively as "Old Castle" and "Outside Wall (or Castle)".

Still during the reign of this sovereign, following the extinction of the Order of the Templars, by Bull of Pope John XXII (March 14, 1319), Castro Marim was donated to the newly created Order of Christ, which established its first headquarters there, from 1319 to 1356. With the transfer of the headquarters to Tomar, by order of Pedro I of Portugal of Portugal (1357-1367), the strategic importance of the town diminished, and it began to depopulate. Thus, in the Cortes of 1361, complaints were already being heard against the Military Orders in general, which were later accused, in 1475, of bringing about the downfall of the castles of the Algarve, with Castro Marim being cited by name. It should be noted that John I of Portugal (1385-1433) had already granted a charter to the town, granting it the privilege of a refuge for 40 inhabitants (10 April 1421) with a view to increasing the population.

Infante D. Henrique (1395-1460), appointed Master of the Order, resided in this castle. Later, under the reign of Manuel I of Portugal (1495-1521), the town received the New Charter (20 August 1504), at which time the sovereign ordered the repair of its defenses, including the castle walls. These works are recorded by Duarte de Armas in his Book of Fortresses (c. 1509): in the castle, with a quadrangular plan, the tall keep tower, also quadrangular in plan, stood out to the south, attached to the wall. This wall was reinforced by cylindrical cubes at the vertices.

Externally, a crenellated fence, with an irregular, organic layout, surrounded the village. The following stand out in this enclosure:

• at the eastern vertex, a quadrangular tower crowned by Battlements, in which there was a straight-arched door, preceded by a drawbridge;


• at the western vertex, a smaller tower, with a round-arched door with a lock decorated with a coat of arms;


• on the northern side, at ground level, there was a small canal arch.

With the beginning of Portuguese maritime expansion, the Algarve region took on new strategic importance, due to its proximity to the squares of North Africa. These works served a dual purpose: logistical support for African squares and surveillance against the actions of corsairs, active in the region. Other Algarve squares, however, were modernized throughout the 16th century, which was not recorded in Castro Marim. In the last quarter of that century, the town and its castle were described as follows:

"Castro Marim is located on the head of a high lot, of all parts surrounded by sea, and the place is well accommodated to the place where it is a border of Castile, where it has a large but scattered village, called Aiamonte (…).

This is the most important part of this town surrounded by a good fortress and its suburbs and everything together represent majesty to those who see it from afar, due to the lofty setting in which it is located, with which its buildings display, all of which, well considered, seems to be favored by nature, threatening not only its neighbor Ayamonte but all of Castile. (…)"
(Friar John of Saint Joseph. Chorography of the Kingdom of Algarve. 1577.)

During the succession crisis of 1580, with the party of the Prior of Crato rising up, the members of the Junta de Defesa do Reino, established after the death of Cardinal D. Henrique, fled to Castro Marim, from where they went to Ayamonte, in Spain. There, protected, they draw up and sign a declaration in which they recognize the rights of Philip II of Spain to the throne of Portugal, proscribing D. António.

During the reign of Philip III of Spain, Henrique Fernandes Serrão describes Castro Marim Castle as having "three gates in the fence and a very strong castle, which is newly repaired, and in it a very tall and beautiful tower, from which one can enjoy a great view" (1600).

With the Portuguese Restoration War of Portuguese independence, the defense bordering Castro Marim was remodeled, acquiring modern bastioned lines. These works would only be completed during the reign of Afonso VI of Portugal of Portugal (1656-1667), complemented by the Fort of São Sebastião de Castro Marim and the Fort of Santo António de Castro Marim. Within this defensive system, the sovereign ordered the construction of a new chapel dedicated to Saint Anthony, in which an altar was consecrated to the martyr Saint Sebastian.

From the 1755 earthquake to the present day

During the 1755 earthquake the medieval center of the town suffered extensive damage, particularly felt in the Church of St. James. For this reason, John I of Portugal (1750-1777) ordered the restoration of the town's defences.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Castro Marim Castle was classified as a National Monument by Decree of 16 June 1910. It was only in the middle of that century, however, that public authorities began to intervene, through the General Directorate of National Buildings and Monuments (DGEMN), which carried out consolidation and reconstruction work there between 1942 and 1952. Other interventions would follow, by the same body, in 1958 (predominantly next to the chapel) and 1960 (works to adapt it to a museum, reconstructions and others). The monument was slightly damaged by the earthquake of February 28, 1969. New interventions by the DGEMN took place between 1977 and 1979, and between 1980 and 1983. Between 2000 and 2003, excavation campaigns were carried out under the direction of archaeologist Ana Maria Arruda. Recently, in 2004, works were being developed at the Archaeological Museum.

Features

In a dominant position on a hill, the medieval castle (also called Castelo Velho or simply Castelejo) has an irregular quadrangular (organic) plan, with four cylindrical cubes at the vertices of the walls, crossed by a battlement, where there are two doors, one to the north and one to the south, one of which is topped by a coat of arms and an epigraphic inscription. Inside the parade ground, there are two-storey buildings attached to the west and north walls; on the east side, the ruins of the primitive village. Externally, the remains of the keep and a bastion that flanked it can be identified.

In the shelter of the triangular Barbican, crossed by a battlement, stand the Church of São Tiago, the Church of Santa Maria, the Church of Misericórdia and a museum centre, with archaeological evidence of the occupation of the region. At the southern vertex there is an artillery platform, at the eastern and western vertices there are two quadrangular towers, covered by terraces with arched doors. Above the door of the west tower, a coat of arms and an epigraphic inscription.