The Amieira do Tejo Castle is a Portuguese castle in the civil parish of Amieira do Tejo, municipality of Nisa, in the antique district of Portalegre, approximately 200 kilometres from the city of Lisbon

History

In 1232, owing to a regal charter issued by King Sancho II, the dominion of the

Knights Hospitaler The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headqu ...

expanded their influence into the south; the religious order expanded into the villas of Amieira, Gavião and Crato. In Crato, they carried out construction projects, to establish their institutional seat, just after the donation. The construction of the castle in Amieira only developed a century after the Hospitalers had taken possession of the territory. Its construction was the responsibility of Álvaro Gonçalves Pereira, son of the Archbishop of Braga

Gonçalo Pereira Gonçalo (Gonçalves) Pereira (c.1280–1348) was a Portuguese prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the archbishop of Braga from 1326 until 1349. Pereira was a son of Gonçalo Pires Pereira, who held the titles of count of the Kingdom of P ...

prior Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...

of the

Order of the Hospital The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...

and father of the future-''constable of the kingdom'', Nuno Álvares Pereira. It was Gonçalo Pereira who had originally been responsible for transferring the Order from Leça do Bailio to Crato e Mártires (in 1356). The castle of Amieira was constructed as part of the settlement's place in the new function of the Order: to assist the travelling pilgrims. Three years following this change in roles, King Peter I visited the fortress, whose construction was already quite advanced. But, by 1362, the project had not been concluded:Mario Jorge Barroca (2000), p.205 Álvaro Gonçalves Pereira had taken a lot of pacience in the construction and evolution of the castle, until his death in 1375. The fortress suffered various modifications over the centuries. During the reigns of King John II and King

Manuel Manuel may refer to: People * Manuel (name) * Manuel (Fawlty Towers), a fictional character from the sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'' * Charlie Manuel, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies * Manuel I Komnenos, emperor of the Byzantine Empire * Manu ...

, there were remodelling to adapt the structure to the new military requirements. Simultaneously, it served as a prison, due to its excellent construction. Losing its military function, due to the change in the lines of defence over time, the castle fell in importance. In the 18th century, a great part of the historical structure was abandoned, and part of the fortress was adapted for civil residences. By this time, the prison tower was partially recuperated, but its military functionally was completed abandoned. In the 19th century, the central courtyard was converted into a local cemetery, which continued to be used in this form until the 1940s, when the DGEMN promoted the castles reconstruction. It has been listed as a

National monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spec ...

since 10 November 1922.

Architecture

The castle is accessed from the Praça de Nun'Alvares, and can be reached from the EN 359 motorway, or alternately from the A6, existing from Torres Novas, IP6 until Abrantes, and the EN 118 roadway towards Nisa (exiting in Arez). The castle is found in an urban environment, isolated in a terrain with manicured gardens and space for parking. It is sited on a parcel that is relatively planar, except on the western limits where it is inclined, with houses to the north and east, while agricultural fields and orchards to the south and west. The Castle of Amieira is the prototypical

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

Portuguese castle.Mario Jorge Barroca (2000), p.206 It is located on a relatively low hilltop, in a rectangular plan consisting of a walled courtyard with four towers located at its apexes. The prison block which is located in the largest of these towers, is located above the principal entrance to the fortress. In comparison to the isolated Romanesque cell blocks, the tower also served the defence of the castle, in an area that was most vulnerable. The central courtyard, which is an ample space, allows the space for placement of troops and easy movement. The castle also provides two levels of complementary defence, as indicated in 14th century documentation: a pit (which has not survived to today), and a

barbican A barbican (from fro, barbacane) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer fortifications, defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Europe ...

to the rear of the fortress, that formed a secondary landing in case of siege. Encountered by one of the towers, but outside its walls, is the Chapel of São João Baptista, which dates back to 1556 (from its doorway inscription). The interior has a vaulted decorated ceiling, with an image of the patron saint (Saint John) and a retable from the late Renaissance period.

References

;Notes ;Sources * * * * {{Castles in Portugal Amieira Buildings and structures in Nisa, Portugal Amieira National monuments in Portalegre District