Abrantes Castle
Encyclopedia
The Castle of Abrantes overlooks the city of Abrantes, in the municipality of Abrantes in the district of Santarém, Ribatejo
, divided between the two civil parishes of São João
and São Vicente
. It was part of the Reconquista
fortifications that made-up the Linha do Tejo (Tagus Line), a line of castles and outposts during the Middle Ages, recently integrated into a tourist region called the Região de Turismo dos Templários (Tourist Region of the Templars).
The area of the Abrantes Castle was at one time occupied by a Lusitanian
castro structutre. It was conquered during the Roman invasion of the peninsula
around 130 A.C. by counsel Decimus Junius Brutus
, and occupied for a time by Roman legions; Bruto would expand and remodel the conquered castro after occupying the installation. Successive invasions by Alans
(411), Visigoths (492) and Moors
(716) further indicated the strategic importance of this site, justifying the establishment of a permanent military garrison. Yet, on the contrary the area and its river did not constitute an important link to the formal, and established, peninsular settlements, until the 12th century.
During the Christian
Reconquista
(Re-conquest) the settlement that existed in the area of Abrantes was taken from the Moors by forces in the service of Afonso Henriques
(1112-1185), whom restructured the defenses of the site to attract settlers into the region. The King donated the lands to the Order of Santiago
(1172) so that they could monitor and lend assistance to pilgrims along Saint Jame's Way. Later, it was incorporated into the Linha do Tejo (Tagus Line) defense which was established by the Knights Templar
to control and maintain the lands reconquered from the Muslims. The castle outpost, as well as the castles of Almourol, Castelo Branco, Monsanto, Pombal, Tomar
, Torres Novas and Zêzere formed a defensive barrier and garrisoned forces along the middle course of the Tagus River.
As part of this line, Abrantes was able to resist the forces of the Almohad Caliphate under the command of Moroccan
Abem Jacob (1179), who retreated having suffered many deaths. Abrantes was compensated for its heroic resistance by receiving a foral
in 1179 and reconstructed. During the reign of Sancho I
(1185-1211), a new attack from the Almoáda, under the direction of caliph
Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur, was successful in 1191 in retaking all the Christian conquests in the territories south of the Tagus, with the exception of Évora
. Afonso III
(1248-1279) instigated new improvements in the castle's defense in 1250 (completed between 1300 and 1303, in the reign of his successor Dinis), that included the detention block and expansion of the walls. Afonso III donated the village of Abrantes to his wife, Queen Elizabeth of Aragon
, beginning a tradition of royal patronage to the Queens of Portugal.
During the Portuguese Interregnum Abrantes allied itself with the Master of Aviz
, and faught the forces of Castelo in the Battle of Aljubarrota
.
A new foral
was conferred (1510) during the reign of Manuel I of Portugal (1495-1521). In 1531, the two superior floors of the prison block were destroyed as a consequence of the earthquake.
In the second half of the 16th century, the Abrantes Castle entered into decline, particularly during the 1580 Portuguese succession crisis. In context of the Restoration of Independence, in the last quarter of the 17th century, Peter II determined that the castle and its settlement should be reconstructed into a medieval castle-keep, in the style of Vauban
. To this end, the medieval walls were lowered and strengthened, and two secondary walls were constructed within the bastion
s in 1704. By this process of remodelling, which included the construction of the palace of the Marquess of Abrantes (by Rodrigo de Almeida e Meneses, 1st Marquess of Abrantes), making the fortress a key to the Province of Estremadura
. Similar expansions were accomplished in 1731 by the military engineer Engeleer, with the construction of the bastions and renovation of the already existing walls.
In the 18th century, the castle's installations were adapted for use as a garrison for a regiment of Royal Cavalry. Between 1792 and 1799, the same quarters were expanded and occupied by a legion commanded by the Marquess of Alorna. By the beginning of the 19th century, during the Peninsular War
the castle and town supported, in two occasions, the passage of Napoleonic troops into Portugal:
But, in 1809, the fortifications were improved under engineer Manuel de Sousa Ramos, just before they were occupied by Masséna's forces, who destroyed the palace of the Marquess of Abrantes. Afterwards, the castle installations were de-activated as quarters, and converted to a military presidio
, resulting in alterations to its structure.
In 1860 repairs were made at the prison block, reinforced by an exterior wall, ordered built by the Baron of Batalhã.
In the middle of the 20th century, the castle's buildings and structures were classified as an Imóvel de Interesse Público (Property of Public Interest) by decree (July 1957) by the Direcção-Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (DGEMN) (General-Directorate for Buildings and National Monuments). At the end of the 1960s, remodelling projects were advanced to consolidate and restore the walls of the castle, which continued until the 1970s (and included the partial reconstruction of the detention block).
On 1 June 1992, the fort fell under the authority of the Instituto Português do Patromónio Arquitectónico (IPPAR), forerunner of the Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico (Decree 106F/92).
In 2002, a program was established to maintain and promote the structure, which included a public tender to renovate the building; the castle was closed between 2002-2004 in order for renovations to take place. It was formally re-inaugurated on 18 April 2004 following the conclusion of the works.
The military fort, in comparison with other medieval forts, was the centre of power and refuge in cases of attack; the centre of the community was found outside the walls, in the almedina, a space circling the two major churches of São Vicente and São João.
The castle is constructed from masonry rock in a form that is irregular and polygonal in shape surmounting a rocky cliff face with steep vertical walls. Originally constructed in a Romantic-style
, successive additions, remodelling and construction introduced after the 13th century conferred on it Gothic
aspects. The only remnants of its ancient and austere medieval castle are the detention block, the weapons portico (on the north-east angle) and arcade that supports two distinct walls, that served as a parapet
for lookouts that commanded panoramic vistas of the region.
The detention block, constructed in a rectangular plan in the centre of the castle commons, was originally constructed in three layers (the two superior layers were destroyed during the 1531 earthquake). Its façade lost its character during remodelling completed in the 19th century.
The first line of walls are reinforced by cylindrical towers and interrupted by vertical openings. The castle's bastions, completed in the 18th century, are distributed around the older part of the settlement of Abrantes.
The old military square, and on the western extent of the castle, are the ruins of the old Paço dos Condes de Abrantes(Residence of the Counts of Abrantes
). Begun in 1530, by the sheriff of the vila, Diogo Fernandes de Almeida, it was designed to take advantage of the wall to reinforce the structure. The Paços, marked by its grandiose architectural elements in the Baroque style, was substantially modified in the 18th century by the first Marquis of Abrantes
, Rodrigo Anes de Sá Almeida e Menezes. Of these elements the loggia, consisting of an arcade of 11 perfect spans, aligned symmetrically on two cylindrical tiers, are the most distinctive part of the Abrantes complex.
Within the interior, the Church of Santa Maria do Castelo, in the Gothic style has been converted into a museum exhibiting a collection of Roman sculpture, funerary artefacts from the 15th and 16th century, as well as azulejos.
Ribatejo
The Ribatejo is the most central of the traditional provinces of Portugal, with no coastline or border with Spain. The region is crossed by the Tagus River...
, divided between the two civil parishes of São João
São João (Abrantes)
São João, or São João Baptista, is a Portuguese civil parish, located in the municipality of Abrantes, in Santarém District. It is one of the three parishes that make-up the urbanized area of the city...
and São Vicente
São Vicente (Abrantes)
São Vicente is a Portuguese civil parish, located in municipality of Abrantes, in the older Santarém District, and which includes the northern part of the city of Abrantes...
. It was part of the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
fortifications that made-up the Linha do Tejo (Tagus Line), a line of castles and outposts during the Middle Ages, recently integrated into a tourist region called the Região de Turismo dos Templários (Tourist Region of the Templars).
History
Lusitania
Lusitania or Hispania Lusitania was an ancient Roman province including approximately all of modern Portugal south of the Douro river and part of modern Spain . It was named after the Lusitani or Lusitanian people...
castro structutre. It was conquered during the Roman invasion of the peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
around 130 A.C. by counsel Decimus Junius Brutus
Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus
Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus was a Roman politician and general of the 2nd century BC. He was the son of the consul Marcus Junius Brutus and brother of the praetor Marcus Junius Brutus; he himself was appointed consul in 138 BC...
, and occupied for a time by Roman legions; Bruto would expand and remodel the conquered castro after occupying the installation. Successive invasions by Alans
Alans
The Alans, or the Alani, occasionally termed Alauni or Halani, were a group of Sarmatian tribes, nomadic pastoralists of the 1st millennium AD who spoke an Eastern Iranian language which derived from Scytho-Sarmatian and which in turn evolved into modern Ossetian.-Name:The various forms of Alan —...
(411), Visigoths (492) and Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
(716) further indicated the strategic importance of this site, justifying the establishment of a permanent military garrison. Yet, on the contrary the area and its river did not constitute an important link to the formal, and established, peninsular settlements, until the 12th century.
During the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
(Re-conquest) the settlement that existed in the area of Abrantes was taken from the Moors by forces in the service of Afonso Henriques
Afonso I of Portugal
Afonso I or Dom Afonso Henriques , more commonly known as Afonso Henriques , nicknamed "the Conqueror" , "the Founder" or "the Great" by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali and Ibn-Arrik by the Moors whom he fought, was the first King of Portugal...
(1112-1185), whom restructured the defenses of the site to attract settlers into the region. The King donated the lands to the Order of Santiago
Order of Santiago
The Order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago , under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.-History:Santiago de...
(1172) so that they could monitor and lend assistance to pilgrims along Saint Jame's Way. Later, it was incorporated into the Linha do Tejo (Tagus Line) defense which was established by the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
to control and maintain the lands reconquered from the Muslims. The castle outpost, as well as the castles of Almourol, Castelo Branco, Monsanto, Pombal, Tomar
Convent of the Order of Christ
The Convent of the Order of Christ is a religious building and Roman Catholic building in Tomar, Portugal, originally a Templar stronghold built in the 12th century...
, Torres Novas and Zêzere formed a defensive barrier and garrisoned forces along the middle course of the Tagus River.
As part of this line, Abrantes was able to resist the forces of the Almohad Caliphate under the command of Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
Abem Jacob (1179), who retreated having suffered many deaths. Abrantes was compensated for its heroic resistance by receiving a foral
Foral
thumb|left|200px|Foral of Castro Verde - PortugalThe word foral derives from the Portuguese word foro, ultimately from Latin forum, equivalent to Spanish fuero, Galician foro, Catalan furs and Basque foru ....
in 1179 and reconstructed. During the reign of Sancho I
Sancho I of Portugal
Sancho I , nicknamed the Populator , second monarch of Portugal, was born on 11 November 1154 in Coimbra and died on 26 March 1212 in the same city. He was the second but only surviving legitimate son and fourth child of Afonso I of Portugal by his wife, Maud of Savoy. Sancho succeeded his father...
(1185-1211), a new attack from the Almoáda, under the direction of caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur, was successful in 1191 in retaking all the Christian conquests in the territories south of the Tagus, with the exception of Évora
Évora
Évora is a municipality in Portugal. It has total area of with a population of 55,619 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Évora District and capital of the Alentejo region. The municipality is composed of 19 civil parishes, and is located in Évora District....
. Afonso III
Afonso III of Portugal
Afonso III , or Affonso , Alfonso or Alphonso or Alphonsus , the Bolognian , the fifth King of Portugal and the first to use the title King of Portugal and the Algarve, from 1249...
(1248-1279) instigated new improvements in the castle's defense in 1250 (completed between 1300 and 1303, in the reign of his successor Dinis), that included the detention block and expansion of the walls. Afonso III donated the village of Abrantes to his wife, Queen Elizabeth of Aragon
Elizabeth of Aragon
Elizabeth of Aragon, also known as Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, T.O.S.F. , was queen consort of Portugal, a tertiary of the Franciscan Order and is venerated as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.-Biography:Elizabeth was a descendant of one of the most powerful families in Europe:...
, beginning a tradition of royal patronage to the Queens of Portugal.
During the Portuguese Interregnum Abrantes allied itself with the Master of Aviz
John I of Portugal
John I KG , called the Good or of Happy Memory, more rarely and outside Portugal the Bastard, was the tenth King of Portugal and the Algarve and the first to use the title Lord of Ceuta...
, and faught the forces of Castelo in the Battle of Aljubarrota
Battle of Aljubarrota
The Battle of Aljubarrota was a battle fought between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile on 14 August 1385. Forces commanded by King John I of Portugal and his general Nuno Álvares Pereira, with the support of English allies, opposed the army of King John I of Castile with its...
.
A new foral
Foral
thumb|left|200px|Foral of Castro Verde - PortugalThe word foral derives from the Portuguese word foro, ultimately from Latin forum, equivalent to Spanish fuero, Galician foro, Catalan furs and Basque foru ....
was conferred (1510) during the reign of Manuel I of Portugal (1495-1521). In 1531, the two superior floors of the prison block were destroyed as a consequence of the earthquake.
In the second half of the 16th century, the Abrantes Castle entered into decline, particularly during the 1580 Portuguese succession crisis. In context of the Restoration of Independence, in the last quarter of the 17th century, Peter II determined that the castle and its settlement should be reconstructed into a medieval castle-keep, in the style of Vauban
Vauban
Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them...
. To this end, the medieval walls were lowered and strengthened, and two secondary walls were constructed within the bastion
Bastion
A bastion, or a bulwark, is a structure projecting outward from the main enclosure of a fortification, situated in both corners of a straight wall , facilitating active defence against assaulting troops...
s in 1704. By this process of remodelling, which included the construction of the palace of the Marquess of Abrantes (by Rodrigo de Almeida e Meneses, 1st Marquess of Abrantes), making the fortress a key to the Province of Estremadura
Estremadura Province (historical)
Estremadura Province is one of the six historical provinces of Portugal....
. Similar expansions were accomplished in 1731 by the military engineer Engeleer, with the construction of the bastions and renovation of the already existing walls.
In the 18th century, the castle's installations were adapted for use as a garrison for a regiment of Royal Cavalry. Between 1792 and 1799, the same quarters were expanded and occupied by a legion commanded by the Marquess of Alorna. By the beginning of the 19th century, during the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
the castle and town supported, in two occasions, the passage of Napoleonic troops into Portugal:
- on 22 November 1807, it was occupied by troops under the command of Jean-Andoche JunotJean-Andoche JunotJean-Andoche Junot, 1st Duke of Abrantès was a French general during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.-Early life:...
, who ingraciated himself with the title of Duke of AbrantesDuke of AbrantesDuke of Abrantes was an aristocratic title granted on three separate occasions and it refers to the Portuguese city of Abrantes , located on the Ribatejo province.-1642: The Dukes of Abrantes :...
(March 1808); - in October 1810 it was reoccupied, after the wrought of French troops at the Lines of Torres Vedras, under the command of Marshall André MassénaAndré MassénaAndré Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
.
But, in 1809, the fortifications were improved under engineer Manuel de Sousa Ramos, just before they were occupied by Masséna's forces, who destroyed the palace of the Marquess of Abrantes. Afterwards, the castle installations were de-activated as quarters, and converted to a military presidio
Presidio
A presidio is a fortified base established by the Spanish in North America between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. The fortresses were built to protect against pirates, hostile native Americans and enemy colonists. Other presidios were held by Spain in the sixteenth and seventeenth...
, resulting in alterations to its structure.
In 1860 repairs were made at the prison block, reinforced by an exterior wall, ordered built by the Baron of Batalhã.
In the middle of the 20th century, the castle's buildings and structures were classified as an Imóvel de Interesse Público (Property of Public Interest) by decree (July 1957) by the Direcção-Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (DGEMN) (General-Directorate for Buildings and National Monuments). At the end of the 1960s, remodelling projects were advanced to consolidate and restore the walls of the castle, which continued until the 1970s (and included the partial reconstruction of the detention block).
On 1 June 1992, the fort fell under the authority of the Instituto Português do Patromónio Arquitectónico (IPPAR), forerunner of the Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico (Decree 106F/92).
In 2002, a program was established to maintain and promote the structure, which included a public tender to renovate the building; the castle was closed between 2002-2004 in order for renovations to take place. It was formally re-inaugurated on 18 April 2004 following the conclusion of the works.
Architecture
The Castle has an imposing position on the right margin of the Tagus River, surmounting a hilltop over-looking the town and local landscape. It is characteristic of hilltop fortifications, located on a 197 meter high plateau dominating the town, designed to take advantage of the steep incline of the northeast escarpment. The south, southeast and eastern portions of the Castle are reinforced by bastions and castle walls. In addition to the isolated detention and block (in the centre of the grounds), the eastern end of the castle are dominated by the Paços do Marquis, Paços dos Condes and the church of the Santa Maria do Castelo.The military fort, in comparison with other medieval forts, was the centre of power and refuge in cases of attack; the centre of the community was found outside the walls, in the almedina, a space circling the two major churches of São Vicente and São João.
The castle is constructed from masonry rock in a form that is irregular and polygonal in shape surmounting a rocky cliff face with steep vertical walls. Originally constructed in a Romantic-style
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
, successive additions, remodelling and construction introduced after the 13th century conferred on it Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
aspects. The only remnants of its ancient and austere medieval castle are the detention block, the weapons portico (on the north-east angle) and arcade that supports two distinct walls, that served as a parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
for lookouts that commanded panoramic vistas of the region.
The detention block, constructed in a rectangular plan in the centre of the castle commons, was originally constructed in three layers (the two superior layers were destroyed during the 1531 earthquake). Its façade lost its character during remodelling completed in the 19th century.
The first line of walls are reinforced by cylindrical towers and interrupted by vertical openings. The castle's bastions, completed in the 18th century, are distributed around the older part of the settlement of Abrantes.
The old military square, and on the western extent of the castle, are the ruins of the old Paço dos Condes de Abrantes(Residence of the Counts of Abrantes
Count of Abrantes
Count of Abrantes was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated from June 13, 1476, by King Afonso V of Portugal, and granted to his 4th cousin, Lopo de Almeida....
). Begun in 1530, by the sheriff of the vila, Diogo Fernandes de Almeida, it was designed to take advantage of the wall to reinforce the structure. The Paços, marked by its grandiose architectural elements in the Baroque style, was substantially modified in the 18th century by the first Marquis of Abrantes
Marquis of Abrantes
Marquis of Abrantes was a Portuguese title of nobility, granted by a decree issued by King John V of Portugal on 24 June 1718, to Rodrigo Anes de Sá Almeida e Menezes, 3rd Marquis of Fontes and 7th Count of Penaguião....
, Rodrigo Anes de Sá Almeida e Menezes. Of these elements the loggia, consisting of an arcade of 11 perfect spans, aligned symmetrically on two cylindrical tiers, are the most distinctive part of the Abrantes complex.
Within the interior, the Church of Santa Maria do Castelo, in the Gothic style has been converted into a museum exhibiting a collection of Roman sculpture, funerary artefacts from the 15th and 16th century, as well as azulejos.