Castle of
Castelo Branco

Parish Castelo Branco

Background

Much altered over the centuries, Castelo Branco Castle remains the most important military historical memory of the city. Its origin dates back to the second half of the century XII and the Templar presence in the region, the typological model adopted being that tested in one of the most important Crusader fortifications in the Holy Land, precisely the castle of Chastel Blanc.

The medieval castle

The first changes to the original set took place in the Gothic period, more specifically in the end of the 13th century and in the reign of Denis of Portugal, one of the monarchs who contributed most to the renewal of Portuguese medieval military structures. Date of this period the construction of the new keep, with a polygonal plan, in the extreme northwest of perimeter, whose subsequent tampering also led to its destruction, but from which still preserves the memory in one of the structures integrated into the ruins of the complex. Likewise if proceeded to build the second line of walls, a fact that corresponded to the growth population of the locality and the strategic relevance of the castle. This second line of defense provided the fortification with seven gates, thus defining, generically, the general system of albicastrense urbanism that still remains today and that is slowly being discovered as that interventions in the urban center of the city follow one another.

The castle's main renovation campaign took place during the transition to the Modern Age. Put initiative of the Order of Christ, here was installed the Paço dos Comendadores, a castellated palatial structure masterfully designed by Duarte d'Armas, at the beginning of the 16th century, and which was successively rebuilt over the centuries.

The first changes to the original set took place in the Gothic period, more specifically in the end of the 13th century and in the reign of Denis of Portugal, one of the monarchs who contributed most to the renewal of Portuguese medieval military structures. Dates of this period the construction of the new keep, with a polygonal plan, in the extreme northwest of perimeter, whose subsequent tampering also led to its destruction, but from which still preserves the memory in one of the structures integrated into the ruins of the complex. Likewise if proceeded to build the second line of walls, a fact that corresponded to the growth population of the locality and the strategic relevance of the castle. This second line of defense provided the fortification with seven gates, thus defining, generically, the general system of albicastrense urbanism that still remains today and that is slowly being discovered as that interventions in the urban center of the city follow one another.

The castle's main renovation campaign took place during the transition to the Modern Age. initiative of the Order of Christ, here was installed the Paço dos Comendadores, a castellated palatial structure masterfully designed by Duarte d'Armas, at the beginning of the 16th century, and which was successively rebuilt over the centuries.

Decadence

At the time of the Portuguese Restoration War, it suffered damage from the Spanish offensive in 1648 and because of them, again, in the context of the War of the Spanish Succession (22 May 1704), when he lost part of the walls. During the Seven Years' War the village and its castle were invaded and looted. by Franco-Spanish troops (1762), being returned only by virtue of the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1763). Later, during the Peninsular War, the French offensive led by Jean-Andoche Junot (1807), caused severe damage to the castle.

In view of the destruction caused by Napoleonic troops, from 1821 onwards, the removal of stones from the castle by the inhabitants to build their homes. Through ordinances, the public authority authorized, in:

• June 17, 1835, the demolition of the arches of the walls to use their stones in public utility works. On that occasion, the Porta da Vila, the Porta do Relógio and the Porta do Espírito Santo, the stones being reused in the construction of the Ponte da Granja;
• 1839, one authorizing the sale of part of the stones from the castle walls, tiles and timberwork of the Palace (March 9), and another, authorizing the sale of the tiles and timbering (March 20).

The structure was weakened and a violent storm that hit the region caused some of the buildings to collapse. walls of the citadel and the ramparts (November 15, 1852). Still in the second half of the century XIX, due to the initiative of the Civil Governor Guilhermino de Barros, some sections were rebuilt of walls and some of the Palace structures. In 1862, however, the Porta do Little window.

The process of decay continued in the 20th century, with the collapse, in 1930, of the last tower of the wall (of the castle / fence?), which was followed, in March 1936, by that of the tower at the corner northeast, also due to a storm. Also in the same year, the General Directorate was asked of National Buildings and Monuments (DGEMN) an inspection of the site, which carried out the reconstruction of the tower (1940), recreating some structures, such as the neo-Manueline windows. New interventions followed in 1977 (archaeological prospecting and cleaning, consolidation and reconstruction of the section of the collapsed wall at the height of Rua Vaz Preto, expropriation and demolition by City Hall of properties attached to the wall), between 1980 and 1982 (improvement of the section of walls at the same height of the same street). In 2000 part of the medieval wall was discovered, namely one of the towers, during the demolition work of two buildings in the same Vaz Preto Street. In 2002, it was planned to restore the eastern section of the wall, which connected the citadel tower and the keep of the former Commanders' Palace.

The interest aroused in recent years by this heritage has led to the definition of the first legal protection for the complex, currently in the process of being listed. The church was listed by the IPPAR as a Property of Public Interest in 1978.

Architecture

The castle had a compact general appearance, closed in on itself and prepared for autonomous defense. Analyzing the plan, in the Book of Fortresses by Duarte de Armas, it seems evident that when the its construction, from a military point of view, was sufficient. It was shaped like a more or less regular quadrilateral defended peripherally by seven Turrets, with a total command over the horizon. The Turrets seem to obey a certain symmetry with the obvious exception of the keep.

Although it has almost completely disappeared, it is possible to verify that the castle of Castelo Branco was the paradigm of the strategic Iberian castle. It had three courtyards distinct access: a first open access; the palace and the keep. It became integrate, together with the Castle of Almourol, the Castle of Monsanto, the Castle of Pombal, the Tomar Castle and Zêzere Castle, a defense line known as the Tagus Line.

Gateway

The entrance to the citadel was through a Romanesque arch (similar to the bishop's arch). In position symmetrical there was a false door, which we sometimes see called the door of betrayal

Palace of Mayors and Commanders

It was a building composed of three distinct bodies: the main one had a first floor with a columned balcony. The palace was accessed by a staircase.

The Keep Tower

The keep was more imposing than the others and had a larger volume so as to constitute a break with the other Turrets. Its shape was hexagonal, an extremely rare shape. in the Portuguese fortresses. The prismatic shape corresponded to an evolutionary stage in that that the more faces the tower had, the better the surveillance was, because they reduced the angles dead. The keep, markedly linked to the Romanesque tradition, was eccentric in relation to the entry and was frankly linked to surveillance concerns for the opposite side.

Church of Santa Maria do Castelo

Inside the castle, separating the first and third courtyards, is the Church of Santa Maria do Castelo. It was a Romanesque church without any bell tower and had the bells on the wall, next to the entrance. The temple's invocation to Santa Maria do Castelo was a characteristic of the Templars.