Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 37.955208494496574, -8.866542926749993

The Castle of Sines, in Alentejo, is located in the parish, city and municipality of Sines, district of Setúbal, in Portugal.

An important fishing port (the deepest in the country), the site was naturally a lookout and defense point for that stretch of coastline.

The Castle of Sines has been classified as a Property of Public Interest since 1933.

Occupying part of its buildings is currently the Museum of Natural History of Sines.

History

Background

The primitive human occupation of the castle hill dates back to prehistory (Paleolithic period), later romanized, according to archaeological evidence, including the pedestal of a statue dedicated to Mars, later incorporated into its walls. Other testimonies of the later presence of the Visigoths were also identified here (a Christian temple from the 7th century, whose remains are also incorporated into the walls), followed by the Muslims from the 8th century onwards.

The medieval castle

At the time of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the region was conquered by D. Sancho I (1185-1211) between the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century. His son and successor, D. Afonso II (1211-1223) donated the domains of Sines to the Knights of the Order of Santiago. The fishing village received a Charter from D. Pedro I (1357-1367) in November 1362, detaching itself from Santiago do Cacém, with the determination of building a fortification. Without it having materialized, and since this stretch of coast was traditionally devastated by raids by corsairs, aiming to provide for the defense of the village, D. João I (1385-1433) exempted its residents from military service in the frontier campaigns (1395 ).

The castle was built from scratch only in 1424, at the request of the people's attorney, Francisco Neto Chainho Pão Alvo. Its mayor was, later, Estêvão da Gama, father of the navigator Vasco da Gama, who would have been born here in 1469.

Under the reign of D. Manuel I (1495-1521), the village received the Foral Novo (July 1512), a phase in which it underwent extensive modernization and expansion works, visible in the structure of the towers on the west side and in the window of the Palace of the Mayor.

From the Philippine Dynasty to the present day

With the establishment of the Philippine Dynasty in the country at the end of the 16th century, the threats to the Portuguese coast increased. At the beginning of the 17th century, the south coast of the country was inspected by the Neapolitan military engineer and architect Alexandre Massai (1614), who proposed rebuilding the fortification of Sines, adapting it to the new war needs, which did not materialize. At this time, a small outer battery is already mentioned, covering the south flank with an approximately star-shaped plan, the Fortim de Nossa Senhora das Salvas and two forts to cooperate in the defense of Pessegueiro Island (Forte do Pessegueiro) begin.

At the time of the Peninsular War, Napoleonic troops sacked the village, chipping away at the coat of arms with the royal coat of arms that topped the castle's coat of arms.

During the Liberal Wars, after the Concession of Évora Monte (May 26, 1834) it was from Sines that D. Miguel (1828-1834) went into exile (July 1834).

It has been classified as a Property of Public Interest since June 24, 1933. The action of the public authorities, however, was only felt in 1956, through consolidation intervention and partial restoration, in charge of the Directorate-General for Buildings and Monuments Nationals (DGEMN). New damages were registered, however, in its structure, caused by the earthquake of 1969.

With the elevation of Sines to the status of city, on the 12th of July 1997, more comprehensive works were carried out on its monument, between 1998 and 2001, in a partnership between the DGEMN and the Municipality of Sines, proceeding with the recovery and consolidation of panels exterior walls and the improvement of some areas of its interior.

More recently, the Municipality of Sines promoted a public tender for the preparation of a project for the arrangement of adjacent outdoor spaces, with a view to enhancing its surroundings. The Torre de Menagem, where the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama (1469) is believed to have been born, currently houses the Natural History Museum of Sines.

Investing in its tourist vocation, the city and its castle (reputed as one of the best venues for outdoor shows in the south of the country), host, each year, on the last weekend of July, the Festival Músicas do Mundo .

Characteristics

The castle has an area of ​​only about half a hectare, since, at the time of its late construction, the settlement was already defined. It has an irregular trapezoidal plan, reinforced by three turrets, two polygonal in the corners of the North façade and a circular tower in the Southwest apex.

The Keep rises to the northwest, internally divided into three floors. Its elevation facing the village has three windows, the upper one double and mullioned, believed to be contemporary with the construction period.

In the main square, to the west, next to the two turrets and the main door, you can see the ruins of the Paço dos Alcaides, where, according to tradition, Vasco da Gama was born. Although its original configuration and subsequent architectural evolution are unknown, it is known that it was built on two floors.