Estremoz Castle

Estremoz Castle, locally known as Castelo de Estremoz, lies in the town of the same name in the Alentejo Central region in Portugal.

Estremoz is situated on a hill, dominating its surroundings. There was already a settlement here during the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, which later was probably fortified by its Muslim rulers.

In the course of the Reconquista, during the reign of Sancho II of Portugal in the mid-13th century, Estremoz definitively fell into Christian hands. The Portuguese then probably reconstructed the Moorish castle. King Afonso III of Portugal ordered the castle to be reconstructed and the construction of the town walls, in 1258. Building of the town walls carried on during the reign of Dinis I of Portugal. He also had a palace built in the town, in which his wife, Elizabeth of Portugal, died in 1336.

Construction of the present keep started around 1260. It was finally finished in 1370.

During the 1383-1385 Portuguese interregnum, the town's mayor sided with the Castilians. The people of Estremoz however, forced him to abandon the castle and handed him over to the Portuguese leadership. The Portuguese general Nuno Álvares Pereira then installed his headquarters here and, in 1384, led his troops out to be victorious in the Battle of Atoleiros against the Castilians. Estremoz, however, surrendered to Castilian troops under the Duke of Alba almost 200 years later, after a siege during the Portuguese succession crisis of 1580.

The town again became a base for Portuguese troops during the Portuguese Restoration War (1640-1668). During that war, the defenses of the town and castle were modernized, and the town became a bastioned fortress.

Troops from Estremoz assisted the besieged Portuguese forces in Elvas in 1801, during the War of the Oranges. Estremoz itself was briefly occupied by French troops in 1808, during the Peninsular War. Afterward, it slowly lost its strategic importance.

In the late 19th century a large section of the north town wall was demolished, and a gunpowder explosion caused severe damage to the historic center and the medieval castle in 1898.

Estremoz Castle is now a luxury hotel and part of a nationwide chain of luxury, traditional or historical hotels in Portugal, called Pousadas de Portugal. While the hotel is obviously only accessible for guests, the mighty keep can freely be visited during office hours. Its interior is bare, but the views from its top are magnificent.

Estremoz Castle has intervisibility with Évora Monte Castle to the southwest.

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