Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 41.44803336598775, -8.290314971114173

The Castle of Guimarães is located in the current parish of Oliveira, São Paio and São Sebastião, city and municipality of Guimarães, in the district of Braga, in Portugal.

In a dominant position, overlooking Campo de São Mamede, this monument is linked to the foundation of the Portucalense County and to the independence struggles of Portugal, being popularly designated as the cradle of nationality.

Classified as a National Monument since 1908, in 2007 it was informally elected as one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal.

History

Background

In the context of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the domains of Vimaranes were granted, at the end of the 9th century, to a knight of alleged Castilian origin, named Diogo Fernandes, who came to settle there.

One of his daughters, named Mumadona Dias, married the powerful Count Hermenegildo Gonçalves, who came to govern the domains of Portucale from the middle of the 10th century until the third quarter of the 11th century. Mumadona became a widow around 928, coming into possession of vast domains, divided in July 950 among his six children. At that moment, by pious inspiration, he founded a monastery in the lower part of the village of Vimaranes, to which he later made a large donation of land, cattle, lace, objects of worship and religious books (January 26, 959).

The medieval castle

The village of Vimaranes was distributed, at the time, in two nuclei: one at the top of what was then called Monte Largo, and another, at the foot of this elevation, where the monastery was founded. It was vulnerable at the time, in addition to the possible incursions of Muslim forces, coming from the border south of Coimbra, to the incursions of Normans, coming from the North Sea in fast and agile vessels, which devastated the coasts and the navigable course of the rivers at the time.

Aiming to defend the monastic core, the benefactress started a castle at the top of Monte Largo for the gathering of people in case of need. Historiographically well known is the excerpt from the letter of donation of that castle to the religious, drawn up in December 958, which contains this decision. It is believed that the structure then erected, under the invocation of São Mamede, was quite simple, consisting of a tower possibly surrounded by a fence.

Just over a century ago, the village of Vimaranes was among the domains donated by King Afonso VI of León and Castile to D. Henrique de Burgonha, which formed the Portucalense County. Count D. Henrique (1095-1112) and his wife, D. Teresa de Leão, chose this town and its castle as their residence. In this way, the primitive construction from the time of Mumadona was demolished and, in its place, the imposing structure of the Torre de Menagem was built. The defensive perimeter was expanded and strengthened, with the main door to the west overlooking the village and the so-called Porta da Traição to the east.

Within the walls of this fence, D. Afonso Henriques resisted, in 1127, the siege of the forces of King Afonso VII of León and Castile, an event that led Egas Moniz to guarantee that sovereign the vassalage of his master, freeing the town from the siege. In the neighboring Campo de São Mamede, the castle witnessed the clash between the forces of D. Afonso Henriques and D. Teresa (June 24, 1128) which, with the victory of the arms of the former, gave rise to Portuguese nationality.

Between the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century, D. Sancho I (1185-1211) rode around the upper part of the town on horseback, in order to mark an end to it, it being likely that the walling of the town had started from from then. In the middle of the 13th century, under the reign of D. Afonso III (1248-1279), the definitive layout of the village fence began, unifying the village of Castelo (upper part) to the village of Santa Maria (lower part). These works would have been completed at the time of D. Dinis (1279-1325), on a date before 1322, when the village, whose mayor was Mem Rodrigues de Vasconcelos, successfully endured the siege of the troops of Infante D. Afonso. Inside, however, the old wall of the upper part remained, demolished around 1420.

Under the reign of D. Fernando (1367-1383), work was carried out to reinforce the fence around the village, besieged during this period by the troops of Henry II of Castile, who, invading Portugal through the Minho, had already conquered Braga. Its mayor at the time was Gonçalo Pais de Meira (1369).

During the crisis of 1383-1385, with its mayor, Aires Gomes da Silva, maintaining the Castile party, the town was once again besieged (June 1385), this time by forces loyal to King João I (1385-1433), who conquered it. This sovereign unified the jurisdiction of the two communities (upper and lower), incorporating them into a single municipality, henceforth known as Guimarães (1389). The fence of Guimarães comprised, in this period, a perimeter of about two kilometers, being reinforced by eight towers and torn by eight gates.

From the 15th century to our days

From the 15th century onwards, in view of advances in artillery, the Castle of Guimarães lost its defensive function. In the following century, its dependencies housed the Municipal Jail, and, in the 17th century, a haystack for the king, accentuating its ruin.

In the 18th century, at the request of the Collegiate, the stonework of the Tower of Nossa Senhora da Guia was used for the works of the Church of São Miguel da Oliveira.

In 1836, one of the members of the Sociedade Patriótica Vimaranense defended the demolition of the castle and the use of its stone to pave the streets of Guimarães, since it had served as a political prison during the time of D. Miguel (1828-1834). Although this proposal was not accepted (by a single vote in the City Council), in the middle of the century the Tower of São Bento was demolished. The town was elevated to city status in 1853 by D. Maria II (1826-1828, 1834-1853). Later, under the reign of D. Luís (1861-1889) the castle was classified, by Decree published on March 19, 1881, "Historical Monument of 1st Class", the only one in the Minho region.

Classified as a National Monument by Decrees published on August 27, 1908 and in 1910, from 1937 onwards the General Directorate of National Buildings and Monuments began an extensive intervention campaign, which culminated in its reopening on June 4, 1940 on the occasion of the celebrations of the VIII Centenary of the Foundation of Nationality.

Later, the same organ performed minor works in the set in 1966, 1981 and 1986.

Currently well preserved, it is open to public visitation. Presents plant in the approximate shape of a faceted shield. Its walls, reinforced by four towers, are torn by gates. A walkway, accessed by stairs in the towers, runs along the upper part of the walls, crowned by pentagonal battlements, with a pointed cutout. On the west side, a wooden bridge connects the battlement of the walls and the door of the keep. In the northern section of the walls, the ruins of the old citadel, probably from the 14th century, are visible, which is divided into two floors, with its exterior windows and two chimneys standing out.

The main gate, to the west, is defended by two turrets, with two others defending the betrayal door, to the east.

The Torre de Menagem, in the center of the main square, has a quadrangular plan, with few openings marking the floors, connected internally by wooden and stone stairs. A wide and continuous railing allows circulation and observation at the top of the tower, crowned by pointed pentagonal battlements.

Curiosities

According to tradition, the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques (1109–1185), was born here. The font where it is said to have been baptized is found in the Romanesque chapel of the Church of São Miguel da Oliveira, in the west sector of the castle.

Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 41.44803336598775, -8.290314971114173

The Castle of Guimarães is located in the current parish of Oliveira, São Paio and São Sebastião, city and municipality of Guimarães, in the district of Braga, in Portugal.

In a dominant position, overlooking Campo de São Mamede, this monument is linked to the foundation of the Portucalense County and to the independence struggles of Portugal, being popularly designated as the cradle of nationality.

Classified as a National Monument since 1908, in 2007 it was informally elected as one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal.

History

Background

In the context of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the domains of Vimaranes were granted, at the end of the 9th century, to a knight of alleged Castilian origin, named Diogo Fernandes, who came to settle there.

One of his daughters, named Mumadona Dias, married the powerful Count Hermenegildo Gonçalves, who came to govern the domains of Portucale from the middle of the 10th century until the third quarter of the 11th century. Mumadona became a widow around 928, coming into possession of vast domains, divided in July 950 among his six children. At that moment, by pious inspiration, he founded a monastery in the lower part of the village of Vimaranes, to which he later made a large donation of land, cattle, lace, objects of worship and religious books (January 26, 959).

The medieval castle

The village of Vimaranes was distributed, at the time, in two nuclei: one at the top of what was then called Monte Largo, and another, at the foot of this elevation, where the monastery was founded. It was vulnerable at the time, in addition to the possible incursions of Muslim forces, coming from the border south of Coimbra, to the incursions of Normans, coming from the North Sea in fast and agile vessels, which devastated the coasts and the navigable course of the rivers at the time.

Aiming to defend the monastic core, the benefactress started a castle at the top of Monte Largo for the gathering of people in case of need. Historiographically well known is the excerpt from the letter of donation of that castle to the religious, drawn up in December 958, which contains this decision. It is believed that the structure then erected, under the invocation of São Mamede, was quite simple, consisting of a tower possibly surrounded by a fence.

Just over a century ago, the village of Vimaranes was among the domains donated by King Afonso VI of León and Castile to D. Henrique de Burgonha, which formed the Portucalense County. Count D. Henrique (1095-1112) and his wife, D. Teresa de Leão, chose this town and its castle as their residence. In this way, the primitive construction from the time of Mumadona was demolished and, in its place, the imposing structure of the Torre de Menagem was built. The defensive perimeter was expanded and strengthened, with the main door to the west overlooking the village and the so-called Porta da Traição to the east.

Within the walls of this fence, D. Afonso Henriques resisted, in 1127, the siege of the forces of King Afonso VII of León and Castile, an event that led Egas Moniz to guarantee that sovereign the vassalage of his master, freeing the town from the siege. In the neighboring Campo de São Mamede, the castle witnessed the clash between the forces of D. Afonso Henriques and D. Teresa (June 24, 1128) which, with the victory of the arms of the former, gave rise to Portuguese nationality.

Between the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century, D. Sancho I (1185-1211) rode around the upper part of the town on horseback, in order to mark an end to it, it being likely that the walling of the town had started from from then. In the middle of the 13th century, under the reign of D. Afonso III (1248-1279), the definitive layout of the village fence began, unifying the village of Castelo (upper part) to the village of Santa Maria (lower part). These works would have been completed at the time of D. Dinis (1279-1325), on a date before 1322, when the village, whose mayor was Mem Rodrigues de Vasconcelos, successfully endured the siege of the troops of Infante D. Afonso. Inside, however, the old wall of the upper part remained, demolished around 1420.

Under the reign of D. Fernando (1367-1383), work was carried out to reinforce the fence around the village, besieged during this period by the troops of Henry II of Castile, who, invading Portugal through the Minho, had already conquered Braga. Its mayor at the time was Gonçalo Pais de Meira (1369).

During the crisis of 1383-1385, with its mayor, Aires Gomes da Silva, maintaining the Castile party, the town was once again besieged (June 1385), this time by forces loyal to King João I (1385-1433), who conquered it. This sovereign unified the jurisdiction of the two communities (upper and lower), incorporating them into a single municipality, henceforth known as Guimarães (1389). The fence of Guimarães comprised, in this period, a perimeter of about two kilometers, being reinforced by eight towers and torn by eight gates.

From the 15th century to our days

From the 15th century onwards, in view of advances in artillery, the Castle of Guimarães lost its defensive function. In the following century, its dependencies housed the Municipal Jail, and, in the 17th century, a haystack for the king, accentuating its ruin.

In the 18th century, at the request of the Collegiate, the stonework of the Tower of Nossa Senhora da Guia was used for the works of the Church of São Miguel da Oliveira.

In 1836, one of the members of the Sociedade Patriótica Vimaranense defended the demolition of the castle and the use of its stone to pave the streets of Guimarães, since it had served as a political prison during the time of D. Miguel (1828-1834). Although this proposal was not accepted (by a single vote in the City Council), in the middle of the century the Tower of São Bento was demolished. The town was elevated to city status in 1853 by D. Maria II (1826-1828, 1834-1853). Later, under the reign of D. Luís (1861-1889) the castle was classified, by Decree published on March 19, 1881, "Historical Monument of 1st Class", the only one in the Minho region.

Classified as a National Monument by Decrees published on August 27, 1908 and in 1910, from 1937 onwards the General Directorate of National Buildings and Monuments began an extensive intervention campaign, which culminated in its reopening on June 4, 1940 on the occasion of the celebrations of the VIII Centenary of the Foundation of Nationality.

Later, the same organ performed minor works in the set in 1966, 1981 and 1986.

Currently well preserved, it is open to public visitation. Presents plant in the approximate shape of a faceted shield. Its walls, reinforced by four towers, are torn by gates. A walkway, accessed by stairs in the towers, runs along the upper part of the walls, crowned by pentagonal battlements, with a pointed cutout. On the west side, a wooden bridge connects the battlement of the walls and the door of the keep. In the northern section of the walls, the ruins of the old citadel, probably from the 14th century, are visible, which is divided into two floors, with its exterior windows and two chimneys standing out.

The main gate, to the west, is defended by two turrets, with two others defending the betrayal door, to the east.

The Torre de Menagem, in the center of the main square, has a quadrangular plan, with few openings marking the floors, connected internally by wooden and stone stairs. A wide and continuous railing allows circulation and observation at the top of the tower, crowned by pointed pentagonal battlements.

Curiosities

According to tradition, the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques (1109–1185), was born here. The font where it is said to have been baptized is found in the Romanesque chapel of the Church of São Miguel da Oliveira, in the west sector of the castle.