Penegate Tower

The Penegate Tower, locally known as Torre de Penegate, stands in the village of São Miguel de Carreiras in the Cávado region in Portugal.

The name 'Penegate' was first recorded in a document from 1064, when it replaced the older name 'Penela'. It is believed that an earlier fortification existed here, possibly associated with the nobleman Egas Gomes Pais de Penegate, who was a trusted figure of Count Henry of Portugal, the father of Portugal's first king. However, no definitive remains of that phase are visible today.

The tower that survives today largely dates back to the early 14th century: a license was granted by King Denis of Portugal in 1322 to Mem Rodrigues de Vasconcelos to build a fortified residence, which became known as the Torre de Penegate. Over the centuries, the tower underwent modifications: in the early 17th century, a small Baroque chapel was added by Miguel Valadares, the estate's owner at the time. More modern interventions include the addition of crenellations around 1939 and the construction of a residential annex.

Its appearance, slender with a raised entrance, crenellations, and a machicolated balcony, suggests a more defensive purpose than a domestic one. It features a square plan, 3 stories, and stands directly on a large granite outcrop.

Today, the privately owned Penegate Tower can be visited freely, but it is not accessible. A nice, slender tower set in a lush area.

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