Castle of Freixo de Espada a Cinta

The origin of the name of the village of Freixo di Espada a Sinta is quite ancient. According to the 16th century scholar Juan de Barrush, the coat of arms of a local Spanish nobleman depicting ash ( Freixo ) and a sword ( Espada ) became the basis for the name of the village. Local tradition, however, elevates the name of the village to a certain Visigoth nicknamed Espadacinta (he received it for having once gone to rest in the shade of an ash tree, on the site of which the village subsequently grew). The third version is offered by the historian Xavier Fernandes: in his opinion, a certain Christian knight, pursued by robbers, hid among the branches of ash. His sword was sticking out of the branches, the appearance of ash with a sword frightened the robbers, and they fled. Then the knight laid the settlement in this place.

Archaeologists have established that the fortifications in the village existed in the early years of Portuguese independence, protecting the border west of the Douro River. Afonso Enriques ( 1112 - 1185 ) granted the village of Fueros in 1152 . It is believed that the construction of the castle began precisely in this period, the first mention of it is dated 1258 . In the period 1212 - 1213 , the fortifications were captured by the invading troops of Alfonso IX of Leon.

King Afonso III ( 1248 - 1279 ) gave the village a new Fueros ( 1273 ) and ordered to strengthen and expand its castle. The next important stage in the development of the castle was the reign of Dinis I ( 1279 - 1325 ). During this period, the construction of the heptagonal tower began, which was completed in 1342 . During the reign of Fernando I ( 1367 - 1383, the castle was again reconstructed.

In the XV century, the castle was adapted for civilian needs and became the residence of the mayor of the village. Nevertheless, the castle retained its defense function until the 19th century, when it began to be used as a cemetery ( 1836 ), and part of the fortress walls was demolished.

June 23, 1910 the castle was declared a national monument.

The castle was built in the Gothic style. Of the entire castle complex, the donjon , the heptagonal tower, is best preserved for today. Locals simply call it Clock Tower. It has a height of 25 meters, the interior is divided into three floors with vaulted ceilings. Inside the tower has many cracks of different lengths, in the upper part of the masonry today is supported by special brackets. At the top of the tower is a bell tower.

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• Castelo de Freixo de Espada-à-Cinta / Torre do Galo (SIPA / IHRU)
• Reconstrução Digital 3d do Castelo de Freixo de Espada à Cinta