Celorico da Beira Castle

Celorico da Beira Castle, locally known as Castelo de Celorico da Beira, lies in the village of the same name in the Beiras e Serra da Estrela region in Portugal.

The castle rises on a granite outcrop on the northern slopes of the Serra da Estrela, about 550 m above sea level, overlooking the Mondego valley. Its commanding position explains its long military history: the site was already fortified in the Roman period, possibly under Emperor Augustus.

Celorica da Beira Castle was taken from the Moors during the reign of King Afonso I by Moninho Dola. In 1189, Leonese troops besieged the fortress, but the castle was rescued by the garrison of Linhares da Beira Castle, led by Rodrigo Mendes, brother of Celorico’s governor Gonçalo Mendes. Under the cover of night, the men of Linhares attacked the besiegers’ rear while the defenders sallied out, catching the Leonese between two forces and forcing them to retreat.

About fifty years later, during the conflict between King Sancho II and his brother Afonso III, Celorico was again besieged. Its commander, Fernão Rodrigues Pacheco, refused to surrender, remaining loyal to the deposed king. According to legend, when the provisions were nearly exhausted, an eagle flying from the Mondego dropped a trout inside the walls. Seeing this as divine intervention, Pacheco ordered the fish to be cooked with the last of the flour and sent the meal to Afonso III with a message stating he would never surrender because of hunger. Believing the garrison still well supplied, Afonso III lifted the siege. The town’s coat of arms still depicts the eagle and trout in memory of this event.

Throughout the Middle Ages, Celorico da Beira Castle was part of a chain of fortified mountain towns securing the Beira frontier, including Guarda, Linhares da Beira, Trancoso, Marialva, and Longroiva. Each of these strongholds crowned a high granite ridge, commanding vast views over the surrounding valleys.

During the 1385 campaign, when Castilian forces invaded Portugal, the garrisons of Celorico, Trancoso, and Linhares joined together and defeated the invaders at the Battle of Trancoso. In the Seven Years’ War (1762), Spanish troops under the Marquis of Sarriá captured the castle with little resistance. Later, during the Peninsular War (1810–1811), French forces occupied Celorico and used the castle as their headquarters until they were expelled by the Anglo-Portuguese army under Sir Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington.

By the 19th century, the fortress had fallen into ruin. The local council even considered demolishing it in 1835, but in 1923, Celorico Castle was declared a National Monument, and restoration work began. Further restorations in the 1950s and 60s stabilized the walls and preserved the castle in its current condition. The remaining enclosure forms a roughly circular courtyard with granite curtain walls, small corner towers to the southeast and southwest, and a larger crenelated tower to the north, often mistaken for the original keep. A cistern remains visible at the center of the courtyard.

Celorico da Beira Castle is freely accessible year-round. You can walk the ramparts and enjoy panoramic views of the Mondego valley and the Serra da Estrela, weather permitting. It is a lovely castle, although it felt a bit run-down with all the information panels removed and the walkways partly overgrown.

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