Castle of Neiva

Parish of Castelo do Neiva

Neiva Castle
District Viana do Castelo
Council Viana do Castelo
Parish Neiva Castle
Area 7,64 km²
Inhabitants 2 930 (2011)
Density 383,5 hab./km²
Gentilic Vianense, Vianês
Construction ( )
Reign ( )
Style ( )
Conservation ( )

It was once called Neiva or Castelo. This parish of Ribeira Neiva formed, together with that of São Romão, the town that, in the time of John I of Portugal, was called Aguiar de Neiva.

It belonged to the royal patronage, later becoming the abbey of the presentation of the archbishops of Braga, by exchange confirmed by King Denis of Portugal, in 1307.

It is mentioned in the Afonsine Inquirições of 1220 and 1258, having Santiago as its patron saint. In 1290, in the first Inquiries of Denis of Portugal, it appears as a parish in the court of Neiva.

Human occupation of the region of Viana dates back to the Mesolithic, as evidenced by numerous archaeological finds (prior to the pre-Roman citadel) on Monte de Santa Luzia.

The town of Viana had received a Charter from Afonso III of Portugal on July 18, 1258, and was renamed Viana da Foz do Lima. Due to the prosperity it had acquired since then, Viana became an important trading post, and a defensive tower (the Torre da Roqueta) was built to repel pirates from Galicia and North Africa, who were looking for this port.

One of the many local legends says that the city's name comes from a "story" about a beautiful girl named Anne who lived in the territory that currently forms part of the city, more precisely in a castle made of stone. This was a large, famous castle admired by many people, who would often pass by to see it. As they passed by, some people began to notice that a princess would sometimes appear in one of the castle's windows; a beautiful girl with long blond hair, braided in two braids, rosy cheeks and light eyes - Princess Anne. However, this princess was also extremely shy, which is why she hid from the gaze of passers-by to gaze at the castle. One day this princess fell in love with a young man who lived on the other side of the river, who also liked her very much. He was so happy to see her that — every time he returned to the other bank — he would happily say: “I SAW ANA! I SAW ANA FROM THE CASTLE!” He repeated it so many times that they began to call the city “Viana do Castelo” where the princess lived.

The medieval castleseta_baixoseta_cima

Brasão de Neiva
Foto 1 castelo

At the dawn of Portugal's Independence, there was already a castle here, and it was one of those that swore allegiance to Afonso I of Portugal (1112-1185) on the eve of the battle of São Mamede (1128), as reported in the Galician-Portuguese Chronicle of Spain and Portugal.

In a dominant position over the town of Santiago de Neiva, it is referred to in the Inquiries of 1220 as "Santo Jacobo de juxta castellum" (Santiago at the foot of the castle). Its fortification constituted the head of the so-called Terras de Neiva.

When the crisis of 1383-1385 broke out, the town and its castle sided with D.Beatriz of Portugal. After the acclamation of John I of Portugal (1385-1433) by the Cortes of Coimbra, the Constable D.À época da Nuno Álvares Pereira went to the city of Porto in search of naval reinforcements for the defense of Lisbon, which was threatened by an armada from the kingdom of Castile. Having addressed this issue, the constable decided to go on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia, taking advantage of the route to take control of the lands where the authority of the new sovereign had not yet been recognized. When passing through Neiva, the chronicles say that, one day at sunset, a fierce battle immediately broke out because the castle was "very strong and well defended" (Fernão Lopes. Chronicle of John I of Portugal). Although a long siege was to be expected, fortune would have it that an arrow mortally wounded the mayor of the castle in the face, which led to the surrender of the square.

With the administrative reorganization of the kingdom at the end of the 14th century, the position of this coastal castle lost importance, and it began to decline until its deactivation at the beginning of the 15th century.

Since then, its stones have been reused by neighboring populations, leaving nothing of its structure except the remains of the foundations of its keep and some pieces of the wall.

The evidence from the Castro de Moldes archaeological site is on display in one of the rooms of the Castelo do Neiva Parish Council building.

Events of the time

814 - End of the Reign of Charlemagne.

822 - Abd al-Rahman II is appointed Caliph of Córdoba (822 to 852).

824- Louis I the Pious imposes his authority on the Papal States.

 - Battle between Abd-El-Raman III Caliph of Córdoba and Count Hermenegildo in Rio Tinto (Gondomar)

827 - Beginning of the conquest of Sicily by the Saracens.

833 - Apparition of Our Lady of the Abbey, also known as Our Lady of Bouro.

 - Louis I, the Pious , tried, condemned and deposed by his sons.

839 - Expedition of Alfonso II of Asturias to the region of Viseu.

 - Oaths of Strasbourg: first text in French and German.

844 - The Normans attack the Iberian Peninsula with raids on Lisbon, Beja and the Algarve.