Serpa Castle

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

Serpa was first fortified by the Moors, in the 8th century. The settlement and castle were first taken by Christian forces in 1166. They lost it again in 1191 when the Almohad Caliphate launched an offensive which retook Serpa and the entire region up to the Tagus River.

The forces of Sancho II of Portugal finally conquered Serpa in 1232. Then followed a dispute over the ownership of the castle between the kings of Portugal and Castile. This lasted until 1285, when it finally was assigned to the Portuguese. The Portuguese then started to build Serpa Castle and the town walls, using the old mud walls of the former Muslim fortress.

At the Cortes of 1455 in Lisbon (a state assembly) the people of Serpa complained that their town was depopulating as a result of wars and pestilence. Afonso V of Portugal tried to remedy this by granting future settlers tax exemptions.

During the Portuguese succession crisis of 1580, Serpa and its weakly garrisoned castle were taken by Spanish troops. It was returned to the Portuguese Crown when its independence was finally restored in 1640. Later that century, however, the castle was abandoned and fell into dilapidation.

Serpa Castle was again occupied by Spanish troops during the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 18th century. These forces under the Duke of Osuna left in 1707, after a gunpowder magazine in one of the castle's towers exploded, destroying the tower. The castle was never taken into use again and was given over to nature. Later, during the 19th century, landslides caused parts of the castle to collapse.

During the 20th century, the castle ruin was consolidated. It is now an integral part of the also restored town walls.

When I visited, Serpa Castle could be visited during office hours. It also houses a small museum. A nice castle in a pleasant walled town.

Gallery