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Pictures of Moorish Castle
By peace | July 17, 2007
Moorish Castle in Sintra was listed in 16.6.1910 as National Monument being now included in the World Heritage listing as “Cultural Landscape of Sintra” and, therefore covered by the Portuguese Heritage Law. The current building is the result of a romantic renovation carried out in the 19th century. The Moorish Castle Complex is made up of various buildings, gates, fortified walls and its most dominant features, The Tower of Homage. The walls of the old castle enclosed a considerable area, reaching almost to the sea, where even today the Moorish Pier is still visible.The views from its walls and towers are breathtaking. The village of Sintra with its Royal Palace, as well as the Pena National Palace are all visible from the Castle of the Moors.
Originally, the Castle of Sintra was built by the Moors, possibly between the 9th and 10th centuries. Arab chronicles depict the Sintra region as being very rich in cultivated fields. Surrounded by walls and several towers. It underwent various repairs, particularly in the Romantic period (about 1860), when King Consort Fernando of Saxe Coburg-Gotha restored it, afforested the surrounding areas and gave the ancient ruins new dignity.
In 1147, after the conquest of Lisbon by King Afonso Henriques, the Moorish garrison of the castle surrendered to the Christians without resistance. Afonso Henriques promoted the development of the region by granting a foral (letter of feudal rights) to the inhabitants of Sintra and its castle in 1154. During the reign of King Sancho I the castle was repaired, as well as the romanesque Church of Saint Peter, inside its walls.
The decline of the castle began in the 15th century, when most of the population settled downhill, in today’s Old Village of Sintra. In the 16th century the castle lost all military relevance and was abandoned by its last inhabitants, the Jews from Sintra.
In 1830, after a long period of ruin, King Ferdinand II started a profound renovation of the castle in the romantic spirit of the time, which saw in the Middle Ages a source of inspiration. The walls and towers were rebuilt, while the Church of Saint Peter was intentionally left in ruins. The castle, blended with the vegetation and topography of the hill, gained a fairy-tale, romantic atmosphere.
