Description of the attraction
Sesimbra Castle, or Moorish Castle, sits on top of a mountain 240 meters above sea level. The castle is surrounded by the high peaks of the Arrábida mountain range, and its walls offer stunning views of Sesimbra, its surroundings and the harbor.
The Moorish fortress was recaptured from the Muslims in 1165 by King Afonso Henrique during the Reconquista, when Christians were recapturing lands in the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. However, after a while, the fortress was again captured by the Moors. In 1200, the fortress was finally conquered from the Muslims by the King of Portugal Sancho I, who rebuilt it. In 1236, King Sancho II handed over the castle to the Order of Santiago, the full name of which is the Great Military Order of the Sword of St. James of Compostela, which, along with other Portuguese orders, took part in the Reconquista and the Crusades. This Catholic military order was founded in Spain in the XII century and operates to this day, but already as a civil knightly order.
In the XIV century, by order of King Dinish, work was carried out to strengthen the castle. Despite the fact that restoration work in the castle was carried out in the 16th and 17th centuries, the fortress gradually fell into decay. The castle was finally destroyed in 1755, when the powerful Lisbon earthquake struck. 1930-1940
