Belmonte Castle

Belmonte Castle, locally known as Castelo de Belmonte, lies in the town of the same name in the Beira Baixa region in Portugal.

Belmonte Castle crowns a rocky hill overlooking the Zêzere valley, on the eastern slopes of the Serra da Estrela. Its commanding position, at an altitude of about 615 meters, gave it control over the routes linking Covilhã, Guarda, and the upper Côa valley. Archaeological findings suggest an earlier fortified settlement, probably of Roman origin, later occupied by Visigoths and Moors.

The castle was first mentioned in 1211, when it was part of the royal domain of King Afonso II; it later passed under the control of the Bishopric of Coimbra. The present castle was built in the 13th century under King Afonso III, who granted permission to the bishop Egas Fafes de Coimbra to build a keep and a walled enclosure. Its purpose was both military and administrative, serving as one of the defensive points along the Zêzere and Côa valleys during the consolidation of Portugal’s eastern frontier.

Following the Treaty of Alcañices (1297), which established the border with Castile, Belmonte’s military role gradually declined. In 1466, King Afonso V granted the lordship of the castle to Fernão Cabral, marking the beginning of the Cabral family’s long association with the site. Under their ownership, the fortress was transformed into a noble residence, and it was here that Pedro Álvares Cabral, the discoverer of Brazil, was born around 1467.

The family added a Manueline-style window to the residential wing in the early 16th century. The castle was damaged by fire in 1694, destroying much of its interior, though the outer walls and keep survived. During the Peninsular War (1808–1811), French forces passed nearby, but the fortress saw no direct combat.

In the 19th century, it was abandoned, and by 1910, it had fallen into ruins. It was restored in several stages during the 20th and 21st centuries and made suitable for cultural activities.

Architecturally, Belmonte Castle features an irregular oval plan covering about 2,000 m² in size. Its square keep, attached to the southern wall, rises above granite curtain walls and retains its crenellations. Traces of a Romanesque chapel, the Manueline palace wing, and a cistern are still visible inside the courtyard.

Today, Belmonte Castle is open to the public free of charge. Unfortunately, the upper floors of the keep were closed for maintenance when I visited. A nice castle.

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