Ferreirim Tower

The Ferreirim Tower stands in the village of the same name in the Douro region in Portugal.

I was unable to determine whether this tower had a local name, so I named it after its location.

Nothing is known about the history of this tower, situated in the Varosa Valley. It was probably built in the 14th century as a fortified residence, or tower house, for a local lord. It was first mentioned in 1525, when the area was donated by Francisco Coutinho for the construction of a monastery, on the condition that the tower would not be demolished. So maybe it was built by the Coutinho family.

The tower was then incorporated into the newly built Franciscan Monastery of Santo António de Ferreirim, under the patronage of the Counts of Marialva. After the dissolution of the monastic orders in 1834, the church of the monastery was converted into the parish church, while the rest of the complex was secularized. Some of the monastic buildings, including the cloister, were sold at auction and dismantled. A fire in 1954 damaged the remaining structures, and a fierce storm in 2001 caused further destruction, leaving the entire monastic site nearly destroyed. Despite all this, the sturdy tower survived.

The square tower is built from rough-cut granite blocks and features an entrance at an upper level, battlements, window slits, mullioned windows, and 2 machicolated balconies.

Today, the Ferreirim Tower is in excellent condition and remains attached to the church. Although the church is part of a tourist route in the area and can be visited, I am unsure if the tower is also open to the public; it seems not.

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