Alenquer Castle

Alenquer Castle, locally known as Castelo de Alenquer, lies in the village of the same name in the Oeste region in Portugal.

The castle was first constructed when it was Muslim territory, a period which began in 714 A.D., and the settlement was probably known as "Alan Cana" or "Al Ain Keir". It was situated on a strategic location; on a hill in the bend of a small river.

In 1148 Alenquer Castle was conquered by Afonso I of Portugal and his troops. He then probably repaired the Moorish castle and settled partisans in the village and surrounding territory.

King Sancho I of Portugal built a palace here in the early 13th century, and donated it to one of his daughters; Sancha. After his death, in 1211, a dispute arose between Sancha and one of her brothers; Afonso II. He contested her ownership and her use of the title Queen and started to encircle the castle, where Sancha was hiding, in 1212. To resolve the conflict, Pope Innocent III, placed the castle under the custodianship of the Knights Templar in 1216.

Around the mid-14th century, when the castle became an integral part of the patrimony of the Queens of Portugal, Alenquer Castle was rebuilt. Also, the square tower near the river; the "Torre da Couraça" was built and connected to the castle, to provide a defensive link to the water resource. In 1384 the castle was taken, after a siege, by the Castilian forces under John I of Castile.

The castle fell into ruin in the 2nd half of the 16th century, and locals began to use it as a quarry. The ruins were further damaged by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

What we see today are the restored north gate of the castle, connected to 2 small stretches of the outer walls, and the ruinous Torre da Couraça.

Alenquer Castle can freely be visited. A nice remnant in a sleepy village.

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