Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 39.396035307889896, -7.379061489825539

The Castle of Marvão, in Alentejo, is located in the village and parish of Santa Maria de Marvão, municipality of Marvão, district of Portalegre, in Portugal.

The castle is part of the Natural Park of Serra de São Mamede, on the north slope of the mountain, in a dominant position over the village and strategic over the border line, controlling, in the past, the passage of the Sever river, a tributary of the Tagus river. This fact guaranteed him the attention of several monarchs, expressed in several remodeling campaigns, which gave the monument its current appearance.

Marvão Castle has been classified as a National Monument since 1922.

History

Background

Little is known about the early human occupation of the site, possibly a prehistoric castro. At the time of the Roman invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, some authors argue that this was the Romanized settlement that the Lusitanians called Medóbriga, which, the object of dispute between the forces of Pompey and Julius Caesar, was conquered by troops of the latter under the command of the propraetor Caio Longino, in the middle of the 1st century. Interest in the town stemmed mainly from its proximity to the Roman road that connected Cáceres to Santarém, at the height of the bridge that crossed the Sever River (Ponte da Portagem).

Although there is no further information about the period of the invasions by the Swabians, Visigoths and Muslims, between 876 and 877 Ibn Marwan settled there, and the place was known in the 10th century as Amaia by Ibn Marwan or Amaia Fortress.

The medieval castle

In the context of the conquest of Alcácer do Sal, D. Afonso Henriques (1112-1185) took the village from the Moors between 1160 and 1166. When the demarcation of the term of Castelo Branco (1214), Marvão was already included in Portuguese lands. D. Sancho II (1223-1248) granted it a charter (1226), aiming to keep this advanced sentinel populated and defended against repeated incursions from Castile at the time.

D. Afonso III (1248-1279) donated the domains of Marvão to the Knights of the Order of Malta (1271), later granted to his son, Afonso Sanches, together with the lordships of Arronches, Castelo de Vide and Portalegre. For this reason, at the beginning of the reign of D. Dinis (1279-1325), the village and its castle were involved in the dispute between the sovereign and the infant D. Afonso, being conquered by the sovereign's forces in 1299. At the end of the matter, the domains of Marvão, Portalegre and Arronches were exchanged for those of Sintra and Ourém, remaining the first in the sovereign's possession. The latter confirmed the charter of 1226 to Marvão and undertook works to expand and reinforce the defenses, with emphasis on the construction of the keep, begun in the year 1300.

In the reign of D. Fernando (1367-1383), the homiziados couto was established in Marvão (1378). After his death, when the crisis of 1383-1385 broke out, the village and its castle took a stand on the side of the Master of Avis. The new sovereign and his successors granted various privileges to the village (1407, 1436 and 1497) with the same aim of increasing its population and defense. During this phase, reinforcements were also made to the walls, which is evidenced by the presence of turrets dating from the 15th and 16th centuries.

From the Restoration War to the present day

During the Restoration of Portuguese independence, in the context of the war that followed, Marvão's defenses were remodeled, adapted to the artillery advances of the time. The first phase of these works took place between 1640 and 1662 when the abbot D. João Dama undertook the reconstruction of a section of the wall and barbicans that were in ruins, repaired the castle doors and other repairs necessary for the conservation and defense of the village. Still under construction, it was attacked by Spanish forces (1641 and 1648), actively fighting with the neighboring square of Valencia de Alcántara, until its conquest by the forces of D. António Luís de Meneses (1644. A report by Nicolau de Langres , at the time, informs that the Portuguese infantry and cavalry garrison in this fortification came from Castelo de Vide, with approximately 400 inhabitants in Marvão.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the fortress of Marvão was conquered by the Spanish army (1704), to be retaken later by Portuguese troops under the command of the count of São João (1705). A new Spanish assault on the village would be repeated decades later, in 1772.

In the 19th century, with the opening of the Peninsular War, it was occupied by French troops, freeing itself in 1808. Later, during the Liberal Wars, in the episode known as the Patuleia War, it was occupied by the Liberal forces (12 December 1833). , coming under siege from Miguelist troops the following year (1834).

The castle is classified as a National Monument, by Decree published on July 4, 1922. The intervention of the public authorities, on the initiative of the Directorate-General for Buildings and National Monuments (DGEMN), began in 1938, in the form of repairs, renovations, reconstructions, disinfestations, cleaning and painting, repeating itself until today. Since then, with the support of the Liga dos Amigos do Castelo de Marvão and the City Council, this heritage has been maintained in a good state of conservation. Visitors are offered guided tours of the archaeological nucleus of the armory in the castle's premises.

Characteristics

The Castle of Marvão rises on a quartzite ridge, at an altitude of 850 meters above sea level, enclosing the medieval village within its walls. Its walls, reinforced by towers, are distributed in concentric defensive lines:

the inner line, reinforced by two towers and a turret, dominated by the keep, with a square plan, adjacent to it;

the middle line, crowned by battlements and reinforced by massive towers; the external line, constituted by the barbican, from which the fence that surrounds the hill and comprises the village departs. The adaptation of this defense at the end of the 17th century, converted the castle into a citadel of the bastioned fortress, with gunboats on the roofs, allowing for grazing fire.

The Legend of Our Lady of the Star

In the 8th century, unable to resist the advance of the Moors in the region, the inhabitants of Marvão abandoned their lands to seek refuge in the mountains of Asturias, where Christian resistance was still alive. Before leaving, they tried to hide the sacred images. At the time of the Reconquest, more than four centuries later, it is said that one night, a shepherd guided by a star went to a hill where he found, among the rocks, an image of Our Lady. As a sign of devotion, a Franciscan convent (Convento de Nossa Senhora da Estrela) was built there, with the Lady becoming protector of the castle. With regard to this particular devotion, it is also said that, one night when Castilian forces, led by two traitors, were sneaking up on the castle to assault it, a female voice was heard in the darkness shouting To arms! While the sentries warned the garrison to get ready, the Castilians could be seen fleeing down the slope, scared.

Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 39.396035307889896, -7.379061489825539

The Castle of Marvão, in Alentejo, is located in the village and parish of Santa Maria de Marvão, municipality of Marvão, district of Portalegre, in Portugal.

The castle is part of the Natural Park of Serra de São Mamede, on the north slope of the mountain, in a dominant position over the village and strategic over the border line, controlling, in the past, the passage of the Sever river, a tributary of the Tagus river. This fact guaranteed him the attention of several monarchs, expressed in several remodeling campaigns, which gave the monument its current appearance.

Marvão Castle has been classified as a National Monument since 1922.

History

Background

Little is known about the early human occupation of the site, possibly a prehistoric castro. At the time of the Roman invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, some authors argue that this was the Romanized settlement that the Lusitanians called Medóbriga, which, the object of dispute between the forces of Pompey and Julius Caesar, was conquered by troops of the latter under the command of the propraetor Caio Longino, in the middle of the 1st century. Interest in the town stemmed mainly from its proximity to the Roman road that connected Cáceres to Santarém, at the height of the bridge that crossed the Sever River (Ponte da Portagem).

Although there is no further information about the period of the invasions by the Swabians, Visigoths and Muslims, between 876 and 877 Ibn Marwan settled there, and the place was known in the 10th century as Amaia by Ibn Marwan or Amaia Fortress.

The medieval castle

In the context of the conquest of Alcácer do Sal, D. Afonso Henriques (1112-1185) took the village from the Moors between 1160 and 1166. When the demarcation of the term of Castelo Branco (1214), Marvão was already included in Portuguese lands. D. Sancho II (1223-1248) granted it a charter (1226), aiming to keep this advanced sentinel populated and defended against repeated incursions from Castile at the time.

D. Afonso III (1248-1279) donated the domains of Marvão to the Knights of the Order of Malta (1271), later granted to his son, Afonso Sanches, together with the lordships of Arronches, Castelo de Vide and Portalegre. For this reason, at the beginning of the reign of D. Dinis (1279-1325), the village and its castle were involved in the dispute between the sovereign and the infant D. Afonso, being conquered by the sovereign's forces in 1299. At the end of the matter, the domains of Marvão, Portalegre and Arronches were exchanged for those of Sintra and Ourém, remaining the first in the sovereign's possession. The latter confirmed the charter of 1226 to Marvão and undertook works to expand and reinforce the defenses, with emphasis on the construction of the keep, begun in the year 1300.

In the reign of D. Fernando (1367-1383), the homiziados couto was established in Marvão (1378). After his death, when the crisis of 1383-1385 broke out, the village and its castle took a stand on the side of the Master of Avis. The new sovereign and his successors granted various privileges to the village (1407, 1436 and 1497) with the same aim of increasing its population and defense. During this phase, reinforcements were also made to the walls, which is evidenced by the presence of turrets dating from the 15th and 16th centuries.

From the Restoration War to the present day

During the Restoration of Portuguese independence, in the context of the war that followed, Marvão's defenses were remodeled, adapted to the artillery advances of the time. The first phase of these works took place between 1640 and 1662 when the abbot D. João Dama undertook the reconstruction of a section of the wall and barbicans that were in ruins, repaired the castle doors and other repairs necessary for the conservation and defense of the village. Still under construction, it was attacked by Spanish forces (1641 and 1648), actively fighting with the neighboring square of Valencia de Alcántara, until its conquest by the forces of D. António Luís de Meneses (1644. A report by Nicolau de Langres , at the time, informs that the Portuguese infantry and cavalry garrison in this fortification came from Castelo de Vide, with approximately 400 inhabitants in Marvão.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the fortress of Marvão was conquered by the Spanish army (1704), to be retaken later by Portuguese troops under the command of the count of São João (1705). A new Spanish assault on the village would be repeated decades later, in 1772.

In the 19th century, with the opening of the Peninsular War, it was occupied by French troops, freeing itself in 1808. Later, during the Liberal Wars, in the episode known as the Patuleia War, it was occupied by the Liberal forces (12 December 1833). , coming under siege from Miguelist troops the following year (1834).

The castle is classified as a National Monument, by Decree published on July 4, 1922. The intervention of the public authorities, on the initiative of the Directorate-General for Buildings and National Monuments (DGEMN), began in 1938, in the form of repairs, renovations, reconstructions, disinfestations, cleaning and painting, repeating itself until today. Since then, with the support of the Liga dos Amigos do Castelo de Marvão and the City Council, this heritage has been maintained in a good state of conservation. Visitors are offered guided tours of the archaeological nucleus of the armory in the castle's premises.

Characteristics

The Castle of Marvão rises on a quartzite ridge, at an altitude of 850 meters above sea level, enclosing the medieval village within its walls. Its walls, reinforced by towers, are distributed in concentric defensive lines:

the inner line, reinforced by two towers and a turret, dominated by the keep, with a square plan, adjacent to it;

the middle line, crowned by battlements and reinforced by massive towers; the external line, constituted by the barbican, from which the fence that surrounds the hill and comprises the village departs. The adaptation of this defense at the end of the 17th century, converted the castle into a citadel of the bastioned fortress, with gunboats on the roofs, allowing for grazing fire.

The Legend of Our Lady of the Star

In the 8th century, unable to resist the advance of the Moors in the region, the inhabitants of Marvão abandoned their lands to seek refuge in the mountains of Asturias, where Christian resistance was still alive. Before leaving, they tried to hide the sacred images. At the time of the Reconquest, more than four centuries later, it is said that one night, a shepherd guided by a star went to a hill where he found, among the rocks, an image of Our Lady. As a sign of devotion, a Franciscan convent (Convento de Nossa Senhora da Estrela) was built there, with the Lady becoming protector of the castle. With regard to this particular devotion, it is also said that, one night when Castilian forces, led by two traitors, were sneaking up on the castle to assault it, a female voice was heard in the darkness shouting To arms! While the sentries warned the garrison to get ready, the Castilians could be seen fleeing down the slope, scared.