Castle of
Miranda do Douro

Parish of Miranda do Douro

Background

The village that gave rise to the current Miranda do Douro probably already existed at the time of the Roman Invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. It is believed that it was occupied successively by Suebi and Visigoths until the conquest by the Muslims, at the end of the 8th century or beginning of the 9th century.

The castle of Miranda do Douro was built during a second period of settlement and organization of Trás-os-Montes, which occurred during the reign of Denis of Portugal. The first kings had provided this vast region with administrative units protected by Romanesque castles, called Terras, whose mission was to establish royal authority in an area of ​​the kingdom that was notoriously peripheral.

The medieval castle

At the time of the Christian À época da Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the troops of King Alfonso I of Asturias reached the course of the Douro River and the Salamanca-Segovia line in 857.

In 1093, the eastern borders of Galicia included the Mirandino stretch of the Douro River, the same happening when the County of Portugal was split off from it, successively governed by Count D.Henrique, his widow, Countess D.Teresa, and their son, Afonso I of Portugal.

At that time, the town was already defended by a castle, which was ruined by the battles of the À época da Reconquest . Thus, it became the focus of the attention of the first Portuguese sovereign when, between the campaigns in Galicia, interrupted in 1135 and resumed in 1137, he took advantage of this brief period of peace to restore castles, monasteries and churches in strategic locations such as Miranda do Douro. With the aim of increasing its population and defense, the town received a lease in 1136, becoming a refuge and a refuge. Thus, the town grew around the castle, and was surrounded by a fence at the end of the reign of this sovereign, or during that of his successor, Sancho I of Portugal (1185-1211). In the battles waged by Sancho I of Portugal and his son and successor, D. Afonso II (1211-1223), with Alfonso IX of León, the former in the last year of the 12th century and the latter at the end of the first quarter of the 13th century, the lands of Miranda were ravaged by the Leonese, who only returned the castle in 1213. The town's charter was confirmed in Coimbra in 1217.

Under the reign of Denis of Portugal (1279-1325), the town had its charter confirmed, with the privilege of never leaving the Crown (Santarém, December 18, 1286), and the town's defenses and its castle were rebuilt (1294), a period in which this monarch victoriously invaded Old Castile through Ciudad Rodrigo, advancing as far as Salamanca and Medina del Campo, obtaining the rectification of the border by the Treaty of Alcanices (1297). From then on, Miranda's defenses, improved, assumed the aspect of grandeur and constructive solidity that the city wall, with its turreted gates, and the castle, through its ruins, bear witness to.

Among the improvement campaigns, the one by John I of Portugal (1385-1433) stands out. Since his acclamation as regent, he had at his side the representatives of the Távoras, a prominent family in Miranda do Douro and whose castle he made Pedro Lourenço de Távora the mayor, when he was already King, in 1385. Due to its alignment with John I of Portugal's party and the lack of residents, the town was occupied on several occasions during the military campaign that followed, in the hands of Castilian forces. Thus, with the aim of increasing its population, the monarch established the privilege of a couto for sixty inhabitants (1402), granting it other privileges in subsequent years).

Under the reign of Manuel I of Portugal (1495-1521), its defenses are described by Duarte de Armas (Book of Fortresses, c. 1509), at which time it received the New Charter, issued in Santarém on June 1, 1510.

Peace with the Castilians brought great prosperity to the town, which became one of the most important centers of trade between the two countries. Miranda do Douro became a diocese and was elevated to the category of city (Royal Charter of July 10, 1545). During this first episcopal period, from the mid-16th century to the mid-18th century, it enjoyed its greatest splendor as the capital of Trás-os-Montes, the only bishopric in the province and an important military center. Subsequent military events led to its decline, which was accentuated by the definitive loss of its episcopal status.

From the Portuguese Restoration War to the present day

In the context of the Portuguese War of Restoration of Independence, victim of Spanish assaults between 1640 and 1646, the city was severely damaged, experiencing the paralysis of agriculture and commerce, its main sources of income. From 1644 onwards, the War Council of John IV of Portugal (1640-1656) ordered the modernization and reinforcement of its defenses, when it gained bastioned lines, adapted to the artillery shots of the time. The Távoras were the mayors of the castle at the time and contributed greatly to the defense of Trás-os-Montes, a dignity they maintained until the executions in Belém. Among the warlike episodes of the period, the siege imposed by Spanish troops on the city in 1646 stands out, from which it would only be liberated by the action of the Governor of the Province, Rodrigo de Alarcão.

Later, in the context of the War of the Spanish Succession, the city was taken by treachery and its garrison imprisoned (July 8, 1710). The crime was perpetrated by Sergeant Major Pimentel, who handed it over to Alexandre Maître de Bay, Marquis of Bay, for the sum of 600 doubloons. The Portuguese counterattack occurred the following year, when the city was surrounded by the troops of D. João Manuel de Noronha, Count of Atalaia. Storming the external works, they opened a breach in the walls, recapturing the city and imprisoning the Spanish garrison (April 15, 1711).

In the context of Seven Years' War, in the campaign of 1762, the province of Trás-os-Montes was invaded and sacked by Spanish troops under the command of General Nicolás de Carvajal y Lancaster, Marquis of Sarriá. A new siege was imposed on Miranda do Douro, which maintained strenuous resistance until the explosion of 1,500 arrobas of gunpowder in one of the magazines devastated its castle, causing extensive damage to the houses and walls, and killing about 400 people (May 8, 1762). Due to this sinister event, the city capitulated. Although the investigation never identified anyone responsible, popular opinion blamed the military governor of the area for treason, with some claiming to have seen him defecting to the enemy camp at the time. The city was recovered by Portuguese troops under the command of the Count of Lippe the following year, and peace was signed on November 10, 1763. About half a century later, the city would be on alert once again, this time in the context of the Peninsular War, targeted by Napoleonic troops. Its ruins were listed as a Property of Public Interest by Decree published on October 20, 1955.

Architecture

The castle had a quadrangular plan, with its walls, made of granite and schist, crenellated and reinforced at the three external angles by Turrets (two rectangular and one hexagonal), enclosing a considerable parade ground, currently reduced to a large courtyard.

To the north, the complex is dominated by the Keep Tower, at an elevation of 682 meters above sea level.

The town's enclosure covered a total perimeter of six hundred paces, pierced by three broken-arch gates:

• the Porta da Senhora do Amparo, at the end of Rua da Costanilha;
• the Porta Falsa, next to the castle area; and
• the Postigo, to the east, on the banks of the Douro River.