Castle of Belver

Parish of Belver

Background

Considered one of the most complete examples of Portuguese medieval military architecture, it stands alone on top of a granite hill, to the west of the town, in a dominant position over the confluence of the Belver river with the right bank of the Tagus river, guarding what was then called the Tagus Line.

The medieval castle

At the time of the Christian À época da Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, a wave of attacks by the forces of the Almohad Caliphate, under the command of Caliph Yakub Almanzor, led to the retreat of the Christian borders to the line of the River Tagus (1190-1191). In this context, in 1194, Sancho I of Portugal (1185-1211) donated the region between the Zêzere River and the Tagus River, called Guidintesta, Guidi in testa or Costa, to the prior of the Order of the Hospitallers, D.Afonso Pais, to build a castle there, named Belver by the monarch. In 1210, when Sancho I of Portugal dictated his will, the Hospitallers, already established there, received a significant part of his inheritance, and contemporary sources believe that the castle was completed between that year and 1212.

During the reign of Sancho II of Portugal (1223-1248), the royal treasury was kept here.

Between 1336 and 1341, the town of Belver and its castle were one of the most important Commanderies of the Order of the Hospital, although its Headquarters and Chapter House remained in Leça do Balio.

After the crisis of 1383-1385, under the reign of John I of Portugal (1385-1433), the wars with Castile renewed the strategic importance of Belver's neighboring position. For this reason, around 1390, Constable D.Nuno Álvares Pereira ordered the reconstruction of its original defences, of which only the lower part of the Keep remains today.

In the 16th century it was inhabited by Princess Joana. Popular tradition also claims that, in his youth, the poet Luís Vaz de À época da Camões was imprisoned here (1553).

When the Philippine dynasty began (1580), the castle and its population remained loyal to D.António, Prior of Crato. The construction of the chapel under the invocation of Saint Blaise dates from this period, the end of the 16th century. In the context of the Restoration of Portuguese independence, there is news that the architect Cosmander had reinforced the defenses of the old castle.

From the 1755 earthquake to the present day

The 1755 earthquake caused serious structural damage, which was aggravated by the state of abandonment it fell into during the 19th century, when it began to be used as a cemetery for the town of Belver (1846).

In the 20th century, the 1909 earthquake caused further damage to the fortification, attracting the attention of the authorities, who elevated it to the category of National Monument in June 1910. In the 1940s, complete reconstruction work was carried out by the Directorate-General for National Buildings and Monuments (DGEMN) (1939-1946). Subsequently, conservation work was carried out on the walls, roofs and chapel (1976), the electrical installation (1986) and the keep (1987-1988). In 2005, conservation and restoration work was underway, carried out by the Portuguese Institute of Architectural Heritage (IPPAR), as part of the Castle Restoration Programme.

Architecture

The structure has an approximately oval plan, with the keep tower in the center and a Renaissance chapel.

The keep tower has a quadrangular plan with stone corners and thick walls (about 4 meters on the first floor). The first floor is accessed through a triple door with round arches on the south side, preceded by a staircase in attached granite stone masonry. On this floor, you can visit the cistern carved into the rock. It also has a rectangular window frame and a staircase leading to the living room on the second floor. Here, in turn, there is a window similar to the one on the lower floor, a round-arched door leading to the remains of an old balcony and another door, also in a round arch, which gives access to the stairs to the roof. The latter has narrow Battlements and a parapet that surrounds the tiled roof of the tower. The upper floors have been used to promote cultural events. The keep has a quadrangular plan with stone corners and thick walls (around 4 meters on the first floor). The first floor is accessed through a triple door with round arches on the south side, preceded by a staircase in attached granite stone masonry. On this floor, you can visit the cistern carved into the rock. It also has a rectangular window frame and a staircase leading to the living room on the second floor. Here, in turn, there is a window similar to the one on the lower floor, a round-arched door leading to the remains of an old balcony and another door, also in a round arch, which gives access to the stairs to the roof. The latter has narrow Battlements and a parapet that surrounds the tiled roof of the tower. The upper floors have been used to promote cultural events.

The fence (wall) has a battlement around the entire perimeter, Battlements in some sections and loopholes, reinforced by cubes and two rectangular Turrets, with the collars open to the battlement. To the south, the main door opens, in a round arch, dating from the 15th century, flanked by two unequal cubes. On the west side, there is a cistern with two round mouths, and on the north side, there is the Chapel of São Brás. Inside this chapel, the highlights are the carved high altar and the numerous reliquary busts of relics from Palestine that were once displayed on the altar, offered by the Grand Prior of Crato to Prince D.Luís, son of Manuel I of Portugal.