Vinhais Castle

Vinhais Castle, locally known as Castelo de Vinhais, lies in the small town of the same name in the Terras de Trás-os-Montes region in Portugal.

The early history of the castle is uncertain. There may have been a Muslim fortification or even a Roman settlement or Galician hillfort. That predecessor may have been completely destroyed after the expulsion of the Muslims in the 11th or 12th century, and subsequently rebuilt and repopulated during the reigns of King Afonso Henriques or King Sancho I.

In 1253, King Afonso III granted the settlement of Vinhais a charter (foral), which probably included the construction or restoration of its fortifications. Further work took place under King Denis (1279-1325), who is believed to have ordered repairs to both the castle and town defenses.

Between 1369 and 1371, the town was occupied by Castilian forces, and during the 1383-1385 Portuguese interregnum, the town also sided with Castile. It returned to Portugal after the interregnum but revolted in 1397, again switching to Castile. It only returned to Portugal in 1403.

The castle was restored several times during the next century, but it is claimed that by 1527, its walls were already partially ruined. Still, in 1666, during the Portuguese Restoration War, the town and its castle were besieged by Spanish forces.

The medieval enclosure survived into the early modern period, but the castle was partially demolished in the 18th century, when the parish church was built on its site. The destruction left only fragments of the gate and flanking towers embedded within the later urban fabric. In the 1960s, even these fragments were threatened with demolition by the town council, a threat that was only averted by local protests.

The castle, built of schist, had an irregular plan, a keep integrated into the curtain wall, 3 gates, and several flanking towers. What remains today is a fortified gate between 2 towers, 2 secondary gates, a turret transformed into a small chapel, a ruined flanking tower, and some wall parts.

Today, the fragments of Vinhais Castle can be freely visited. Its layout is difficult to envision.

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