Castle of Óbidos
| Castle of Óbidos | |
|---|---|
| Castelo de Óbidos | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Castle |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| Location | Obidos, Portugal |
| Inaugurated | 1153 |
The Castle of Óbidos (Portuguese: Castelo de Óbidos) is a medieval castle located in the civil parish of Santa Maria, São Pedro e Sobral da Lagoa, municipality of Óbidos, in the Portuguese district of Leiria.
History
Early History
The name "Óbidos" probably derives from the Latin term oppidum, meaning "citadel", or "fortified city". Roman occupation of the area was confirmed by archaeological excavations, revealing the existence of a Roman city civitas near the hilltop on which the village and castle were established. This Roman settlement is most certainly the mysterious Eburobrittium,[1] cited by Pliny the Elder as situated between Collipo (near present-day Leiria) and Olisipo (Lisbon). Archeological surveys determined the remains of a forum, baths and other Roman structures near the settlement.[2]
The area was initially occupied by the Lusitanos in the fourth century BC, Romans in the first century, the Visigoths during the fifth and sixth century and Muslims starting in the eighth century. The Umayyads created the fortifications of the town, as can seen by the Moorish features on some stretches of the wall.
Medieval Era
During the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, forces under the first Portuguese king Afonso I (1112–85), after the conquest of Santarém and Lisbon (1147), conquered the resistance in the town, having managed to do so through a ruse on (10 January 1148). The castle was documented 1153.
The town and its castle remained faithful to Sancho II (1223–48), when he he went through a deposition. It successfully resisted, in 1246, the assaults of the forces of the Earl of Bologna, future King Afonso III (1248 -1279). This resistance earned the village the most noble epithet and always loyal, which appears today in its coat of arms.
The town and the lands were given by King Dinis (1279-1325) as a gift to Queen Santa Isabel. It became under her care for all queens until 1834. King Dinis also oversaw the construction of Donjon tower.
During the context of the 1383-1385 Portuguese succession crises, the town governor, against the wishes of residents, allied with John I of Castile, having suffered from the forces of Order of Avis. Óbidos and its castle were given to John I of Portugalafter the death in combat of his father and governor of the castle, João Gonçalves, in the battle of Aljubarrota(in 85).
Under the reign of King John II (1481-1495), Queen Leonor chose the town and its castle as her residence after the death by accident of his only son, Prince Afonso. She opted in 1494 by the thereuptic waters of the region for treatment of the disease that would victimize the monarch.
Manuel I of Portugal granted the town a Foral Charter in 1513, conducting major improvements in the village and its castle.
16th century to the modern day
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake caused serious damage to the structure.[3]
In the context of the Peninsular War, the Obidos fortification fired the first artillery fire in the battle of Roliça (1808), the first defeat of Napoleon's troops.
The castle and the entire urban area of Óbidos are reclassified as a National Monument by the Government Decree published on January 5, 1951.
From 1932, the town saw the first interventions of consolidation, reconstruction and restoration in charge of the Directorate General for National Buildings and Monuments (DGEMN).[4]
Characteristics
The castle stands at an altitude of 79 meters above sea level. The site plan has an irregular rectangular shape. Its architecture shows elements of Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Manueline influence spread over two main areas: the Castelejo (current Inn Castle, or Pousada de Obidos) and the intramural district.
The perimeter of the walls, reinforced by square and cylindrical plant towers, reaches 1565 meters in length, completely covered by a battlement defended by crenellated parapet. In some places, the walls tower 13 meters high.
The Torch tower is a section of the wall that extends the wall by 500 meters to the south.
Access to the castle grounds is granted by four doors and two wickets, mainly by the Village Gate or Gate of Our Lady of Mercy. It has an inscription placed there by King D. João IV (1640-1656), which reads: The Virgin Our Lady was conceived without original sin. Inside is a chapel with balcony, lined with eighteenth-century tiles.
The castle is connected to the aqueduct of the village. Its 3 kilometer length links the mountain of Usseira and Obidos. Built by Queen Catherine of Austria, wife of King John III (1521-1557), the aqueduct carried the water that supplied the fountains of Obidos.
The Cross of Memory is a cross erected to mark the place where Afonso I of Portugal set up camp before taking the village from the Moors. The Cross of Memory is a medieval cross that was erected to commemorate the taking of Obidos from the Moors by D. Afonso Henriques, markingthe place where he set up camp before clinching the village.
Curiosities
The obidenses, formerly known as "naked mole", is a local name for the extensive network of tunnels, beneath the ancient walls, allow the refueling of the castle under siege in the surrounding fields.
References
- ↑ Óbidos Patrimonium (ed.). "Resumo Histórico" (in Portuguese). Óbidos, Portugal: Câmara Municipal de Óbidos.
- ↑ "DGPC | Direção Geral do Património Cultural". www.patrimoniocultural.pt. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "Feira Medieval no Castelo de Óbidos | Roteiro da Praia de Santa Cruz". praiadesantacruz.com. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "Monumentos". Retrieved 2016-03-09.
Coordinates: 39°21′49″N 9°09′25″W / 39.3635°N 9.1569°W