Description of the attraction
Penela Castle is located on a hill overlooking the urban-type village of Penela. During the Reconquista, the castle was of great strategic importance and served as a fortress, protecting Coimbra. Penela Castle, like the other famous castle of Montemor aux Velho, is an excellent example of the defensive structures that were being built at that time.
The fortress covers an area of about 1.23 acres and has the shape of an irregular polygon. The architecture is an amazing combination of Gothic and Romanesque styles. During its existence, significant construction work in the castle was carried out twice. The first time was in the XIV century, when a new ring of walls with twelve towers was erected. Unfortunately, only four towers have survived to this day. And the following additions were made in the 15th century - the clock tower was built and the keep was rebuilt. The height of the walls of the fortress varies from 7 to 19 meters.
It is believed that the site where the castle was erected was previously inhabited by Romanesque tribes who erected a watchtower to watch the road connecting the cities of Merida, Conimbriga and Braga. However, there is no substantial evidence for such a hypothesis, as well as the fact that this fortress was built during the occupation of the Iberian Peninsula by Muslims in the 12th century.
The fortress that we see today was built between the XIV-XVI centuries. In addition to the main gate, two other gates of the fortress have survived - Porta da Vila (15th century) and Porta da Traixao. The fortress served as a defensive structure until the 18th century. The great earthquake in 1755 destroyed the keep and one of the gates. A little later, the keep was restored.
By the twentieth century, the ancient fortress fell into complete decay. The destruction of this scale of a historical monument attracted public attention and in 1910 the castle was included in the list of monuments of national importance.
