Longroiva Castle

Longroiva Castle, locally known as Castelo de Longroiva, lies in the village of the same name in the Beira Interior Norte region in Portugal.

The castle stands on a granite hill, overlooking the Côa Valley. Its first known mention dates from 960, when Countess Châmoa Rodrigues, granddaughter of the famed Countess Mumadona Dias, donated this fortified village to the Monastery of Guimarães. This donation happened shortly after King Ramiro II of León expelled the Moors from the region.

By the early 12th century, the area was sparsely populated. In 1126, the knight Egas Gozendes II de Baião granted a charter to attract new settlers, offering privileges to anyone who made Longroiva their home. This was confirmed in 1145 by Fernão Mendes, Lord of Bragança. The growing settlement gained royal attention: the Portuguese kings Afonso I, Sancho I, and Denis all reaffirmed its privileges. Around this time, the castle was given to the Knights Templar, whose Master Gualdim Pais rebuilt the keep in 1176, as evidenced by a Latin inscription once visible in the stonework.

During the Middle Ages, Longroiva Castle was part of a chain of fortified mountain towns securing the Beira frontier, including Guarda, Linhares da Beira, Celorico da Beira, Trancoso, and Marialva. Each of these strongholds sat atop high granite ridges, offering commanding views of the surrounding valleys. The castle maintained some military significance until the late Middle Ages, receiving a Manueline charter in 1510 from King Manuel I, marking its transition from a frontier outpost to a rural administrative center.

The keep, approximately 20 meters high, is located in the northeast corner and dominates the small castle. It features a cistern at its base and a twin Gothic window halfway up. The curtain walls likely originally enclosed a larger area north of the keep, as the north wall of the enclosure is noticeably thinner than the others, and the entrance to the keep is now accessible only from outside the enclosure.

Today, Longroiva Castle is freely accessible. Its curtain walls now enclose a small courtyard that currently serves as the village cemetery. A charming, small castle. Sadly enough, the keep was closed. North of the castle were some empty buildings, which looked like they were meant to be some interpretation spaces.

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