Estremoz Castle ( port. Castelo de Estremoz ) is a medieval Fregia castle of Santa Maria , Estremoz city, Evora district, Portugal . Located on a hill north of the Oss Mountains and was originally intended to protect the borders of Alentejo . In 1336, Saint Isabel the Portuguese died in the palace next to the castle.
| Castle | |
| Estremoz Castle | |
|---|---|
| Castelo de estremoz | |
 | |
| A country |  Portugal |
| Freesia | Santa Maria , Evora |
| Founding date | XIII century |
| Status | National Monument |
| condition | the good |
| Site | monumentos.pt/Site/APP_P ... |
History
The first fortifications of Estremoz belong to the period of Muslim domination. During the Reconquista, the Portuguese troops Geraldo the Fearless took possession of Evora ( 1165 ). However, neighboring Estremoz was finally incorporated into Portugal only in the middle of the 13th century, during the reign of Sunsho II ( 1223–1248 ), which initiated the reconstruction of the castle. During the reign of King Afonso III ( 1248-1279 ), the city received fueros in 1258, which provided for a plan to strengthen the defense and construction of the city wall.
The construction of the walls was continued during the reign of King Dinis ( 1279 - 1325 ), at whose command the Royal Palace was erected near the castle. In this palace, Queen Isabella of Portugal died ( July 4, 1336 ), later her body was transported to the convent of Santa Clara-a-Velha de Coimbra.
The donjon of the castle was completed during the reign of Fernando I ( 1367 - 1383 ), around 1370 . During the crisis of 1383-1385, the commandant of the castle, Juan Mendes de Vasconcelus, supported the Castilian faction. However, the residents of the city forced Mendes to leave the castle, which was commanded by his squire, Martin Pires, who swore the Avis faction. In 1384, the Portuguese consignee Nuno Alvarez Pereira established his headquarters in Estremoz and trained the Portuguese troops for the battle with the Spaniards at Atoleirush.
During the crisis of succession in 1580, Estremoz Castle and its commandant remained loyal to Antonio from Kratu . When Castilian troops under the command of the Duke of Alba invaded Portugal, only Alentejo refused to capitulate. Alba besieged Estremoz, and the commandant of the castle, Juan de Azevedo, seeing the sufferings of the soldiers and realizing the futility of resistance, passed the castle.
During the war for independence ( 1640 ) Estremoz once again served as the headquarters for the Portuguese troops. The detachments stationed here had a decisive influence on the outcome of the battles of Elvas ( 1659 ), with Amesichale ( 1663 ), and with Montesh-Klarush ( 1665 ), which put an end to the war. In 1642, a commission consisting of military engineers João Pashasiu, Rui Correi Lukas and Jean Guillot, by order of João IV, inspected the fortifications of Alentejo and compiled a list of works to strengthen the local castles.
The defense of Estremoz and his castle was modernized according to the Pashashiu project. After his death in 1648, French military engineer Nicolas Langres, with the help of Pierre de Saint-Colombe , took up the work. At this time, four bastions were erected, two half-bastions and ravelin .
In the 18th century, fortification work continued, in particular, from 1736, the reconstruction of the former royal palace, redeveloped as a military depot by the project of Anthony Carlos Andreis, was carried out. Between 1738 and 1742, João V ( 1706 - 1750 ) initiated the construction of an impressive baroque building - the Armory Palace (now one of the most famous weapon museums in Europe), as well as the decoration of the Chapel of Holy Queen Isabella.
In the XIX century during the Orange War ( 1801 ) Estremoz was briefly occupied by French troops under the command of General Kellermann. Several decades later, during the Miguel wars, 39 liberals were shot in the dungeons of Estremoz.
After the end of the war and as the city expanded, the fortifications were destroyed. Thus, for the construction of the railway station in the city center, most of the northern wall was destroyed. August 17, 1898 a strong explosion in one of the powder cellars caused considerable damage to military warehouses (the former royal palace) and the castle.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the castle, along with the city wall, the Clock Tower and the Chapel of the Holy Queen Isabella, was listed by national decree dated June 23, 1910 . The General Directorate of National Monuments (DGEMN) took over the restoration of the monument in 1939 . Between 1967 and 1988, military warehouses (the former royal palace) was converted into a hostel.
Currently, the monument performs tourist, cultural (Art Gallery in the Old Courtroom of King Dinis) and religious functions (Chapel of Holy Queen Isabella).
Architecture
Estremoz Castle has a clear pentagonal layout, adapted to the terrain.
The castle stands on the top of a limestone hill and combines elements of Gothic, modern and neo-classicism . It is surrounded by a battlement, reinforced by four semi-cylindrical towers. On the south side is the watchtower, also known as the Tower of the Three Kings or the Tower of the Three Crowns. Inside the tower is divided into three floors.