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GPS 38.45277977390025, -9.106928684829123

The Castle of Sesimbra, also referred to as Castelo dos Mouros, is located in the parish of Castelo, in the town and municipality of Sesimbra, district of Setúbal, in Portugal.

The medieval castle rises in a dominant position on a cliff, over a cove that forms a natural port on the Setúbal peninsula, between the estuaries of the Tagus and Sado rivers, a few kilometers from Cape Espichel.

Sesimbra Castle has been classified as a National Monument since 1910.

History

Background

The primitive human occupation of this stretch of coast dates back to prehistoric times, conditioned by the existence of large estuaries, the fertility of the land and the richness of fishing. In historical times, the Sesimbra cove would have served as a natural anchorage for Phoenician, Greek and Carthaginian navigators on the Mediterranean Sea. Later, the archaeological remains of pottery, in particular amphoras, coins and tombs, are evidence of Romanization, part of this spoil in the castle area.

Successively occupied by Visigoths and Muslims, these would have erected the primitive fortification.

The Medieval Castle

At the time of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, after the conquest of Lisbon (1147) the possession of this region oscillated between Muslims and Christians. Weakly garrisoned, the fortification of Sesimbra was initially taken by the forces of D. Afonso Henriques (1112-1185) on February 21, 1165, who repaired and reinforced its defenses.

The conquest of the Castle of Silves in 1189 by the forces of D. Sancho I (1185-1211), provoked a Muslim counter-offensive that resulted not only in the loss of Silves but also of a large part of the Alentejo region, up to the left bank of the river. Tejo River. The inhabitants of Sesimbra, alerted by the fall of Alcácer do Sal and weakened by the plague that was then raging in the kingdom, abandoned the town, which in this way was occupied and razed by the forces of the Almohad caliph Yacube Almançor (1191).

D. Sancho I (1185-1211) repossessed this village around 1200 with the help of crusaders from Northern Europe (then generically known as the Franks), to whom he offered land for colonization. On August 15, 1201, the sovereign granted the town a charter, ordering it to rebuild the castle "from the foundations". This charter was confirmed by his son and successor, Afonso II of Portugal (1211-1223).

Under the reign of D. Sancho II (1223-1248), the domains of Sesimbra and its castle were handed over to the knights of the Order of Santiago (February 19, 1236), in the person of its Grand Master, D. Paio Peres Correia . These monks intensify the restocking efforts, by granting privileges to fishermen and here establishing the homizied couto. This donation to the Order was confirmed on February 22, 1255 by Afonso III of Portugal (1248-1279).

Under the reign of D. Dinis (1279-1325), new privileges were granted to residents: the sovereign reconfirmed the charter and elevated the village to a village, establishing the respective Council in 1323, and also creating Póvoa da Ribeira de Sesimbra, along to port. Some authors believe that, similarly to the actions that characterized the government of this sovereign, improvements were also promoted in the defense of the castle in this period.

D. Afonso IV (1325-1357) and D. Fernando (1367-1383) also confirmed the charter of Sesimbra.

The castle began to lose importance in the 14th century. During the crisis of 1383-1385, when the siege of Lisbon was lifted in 1384, the town of Sesimbra was periodically plundered by Castilian ships, as recorded by the chronicler: "Alçado el-Rei from Lisbon, the fleet stayed for a few days; and when he left, he arrived in Sesimbra, where they stole some things they could take" (Fernão Lopes. Crónica de D. João I). In the following centuries, the village next to the port would surpass, in size and importance, the old settlement, mainly from the Portuguese maritime discoveries, when shipbuilding and vessel supply activities were developed. D. Manuel I (1495-1521) granted the town its Foral Novo (1514), during which time he had a new fortification built next to the beach, under the invocation of Saint Valentine (Fort of Saint Valentine, also called Fort of the Navy), artillery.

The most important testimony about the castle from that time is the Auto da Visitação made in 1516 by D. Jorge de Lencastre, then Master of the Order of Santiago, illegitimate son of D. João II (1481-1495), published by Captain Sousa Larcher. It points out that the main door of the "stone" castle, with its "new and well repaired" wooden pieces, opened between two "strong and good" turrets. To his right was the Mayor's house, consisting of a living room, three bedrooms and a kitchen, on a two-story floor, above four single-storey shops. In one of the stores was the cistern and in the others, the cellar, the hayloft and the stable. The upper part of this building communicated, through a corridor, with the keep, which then began to fall into disrepair. To the left stood another room, similar to the first, whose use is unknown today.

Some scholars admit that both D. Manuel I and his successor, D. João III (1521-1557), resided here at certain times. This last sovereign created the new parish of Ribeira, current parish of Santiago.

From the Restoration War to the present day

At the time of the Restoration of Portuguese independence, the medieval castle underwent works to adapt its structure to the new fortification techniques imposed by the evolution of artillery means, then receiving triangular-shaped ravelins. At the same time, the new Fort of Santiago de Sesimbra was built next to the beach, on the remains of the ruined Fort of São Valentim.

In the middle of the 18th century, the 1755 earthquake caused severe damage to the old castle, whose strategic importance has since been compromised.

Although the village was involved in both the Peninsular War and the Liberal Wars, there is no news about its castle in the period. At the end of the 19th century, the coast of Sesimbra was the object of some oceanographic campaigns by the sovereign, Carlos of Portugal (1889-1908). However, without land access until the 20th century, the village remained relatively isolated in the period, which it only emerged with the development of tourism in the second half of the 20th century.

The castle is classified as a National Monument by Decree published on June 23, 1910. It was only between the 1930s and 1940s that the action of the public power was felt, through interventions of consolidation and restoration in charge of the Directorate General for National Buildings and Monuments (DGEMN).

Currently, the Castle of Sesimbra is in a relatively good state of conservation.

Characteristics

The Castle of Sesimbra rises 240 meters above sea level and has an elongated irregular plan, in the Northeast-Southwest direction.

At the northern end is the medieval Alcáçova, roughly square in plan, dominated by two towers, one of which is the Menagem, square in plan, whose upper floor is covered by a coffered vault. At the opposite end stands a watchtower, also square in plan.

The four 17th-century bastions (two to the north and two to the south) adjoin the crenellated wall and open up two gates: Porta do Sol, to the northeast, and Porta da Azóia, to the northwest.

On the embankment, the Church of Nossa Senhora do Castelo (built in 1160 and restored in 1721) and the remains of the Town Hall, next to one of the three cisterns, remain.

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