Description of the attraction
Alcobasa is a city that is the center of the municipality of the same name, which is part of the Leiria district. This small town is also famous for its monastery of Santa Maria de Alcobasa, which in 2007 entered the List of Seven Wonders of Portugal and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Fans of architectural monuments of past centuries should visit the ruins of the ancient castle of Alcobas, which is located on a hill, and from where a stunning view of the city and the monastery opens.
There is an assumption that Alkobasa castle was built on the site of the Visigoth fortress at the end of the 6th century. Although you can also find information that the castle was built by Muslims. When King Afonso Enrique defeated the Arabs and conquered this castle, he gave the order to rebuild the castle. Then the king built a monastery next to the castle. There is a legend that before the battle with the Arabs, the king made a vow that he would build a very large temple if he wins. The king won and kept his word - a magnificent temple was built.
In the 12th century, during the reign of the Portuguese king Sancho I, the castle was fortified. Even later, a barbican was built - a fortification, which serves as additional protection for the entrance to the fortress, and the walls from the side of the monastery were also fortified. In 1422, an earthquake struck, during which most of the castle was destroyed. Only the lower part of the fortress walls and the main tower of the castle survived. In the 50s of the twentieth century, as well as in 1960, restoration work was carried out on the surviving fragments of the castle. In 1978, the ruins of the castle were included in the list of monuments of national importance.
