The Castle of Evoramonte, alternately spelled ''Évora Monte'' or ''Évoramonte'', ( pt, Castelo de Évora Monte/Castelo de Evoramonte, links=no) is a Portuguese
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
in the
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...
of
Evoramonte
Evoramonte, or Évora-monte, (officially spelled ''Évora Monte'') is a civil parish in the municipality of Estremoz in the Alentejo Central subregion of Portugal. The population in 2011 was 569, in an area of 99.38 km².
History
Distinguis ...
, municipality of
Estremoz
Estremoz () is a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 14,318, in an area of 513.80 km². The city Estremoz itself had a population of 7,682 in 2001. It is located in the Alentejo region.
History
The region around Estremoz ...
in the former district of
Évora
Évora ( , ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of 1307.08 km2. It is the historic capital of the Alentejo and serves as the seat of the Évora District.
Due to its well-preserved old to ...
. Initiated in 1160, in the
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 ...
period, it was enlarged in later centuries in the
Manueline
The Manueline ( pt, estilo manuelino, ), occasionally known as Portuguese late Gothic, is the sumptuous, composite Portuguese architectural style originating in the 16th century, during the Portuguese Renaissance and Age of Discoveries. Manu ...
style. It was at this site that the
Concession of Evoramonte
The Concession of Evoramonte, also known as the Convention of Evoramonte,Smith, p. 398 was a document signed on 26 May 1834, in Evoramonte, in Alentejo, between the Constitutionalists and the Miguelites, that ended the period of civil war (182 ...
(or the ''Convention of Evoramonte'') on was signed on 26 May 1834, that ended
Liberal Wars
The Liberal Wars (), also known as the Portuguese Civil War (), the War of the Two Brothers () or Miguelite War (), was a war between liberal constitutionalists and conservative absolutists in Portugal over royal succession that lasted from 1 ...
between the Liberal forces of Queen
Maria II of Portugal
, image = Queen Maria II by John Simpson.jpg
, caption = Portrait by John Simpson, 1835
, succession = Queen of Portugal
, reign =
, predecessor = Pedro IV
, successor = Miguel I
, reg-type = Regents
, regent ...
(under the regency of her father
Peter VI of Portugal) and Absolutist armies of
Miguel of Portugal.
[David Birmingham (1993)] Since 1910, it has been listed as a Portuguese
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 sp ...
.
History

Sometime during the 12th century, the region of Évora Monte was conquered from the Moors by the forces of
Geraldo Sem Pavor
The city of Évora honours Gerald with a place on its coat-of-arms. The central plaza, the Praça do Giraldo, is also named after him.
Geraldo Geraldes or Gerald the Fearless (died prob. 1173), known in Portuguese as Geraldo ''Sem Pavor'' ("wit ...
.
By 1248, a
foral
200px, Foral of Castro Verde - Portugal
The word ''foral'' ({{IPA-pt, fuˈɾaɫ, eu, plural: ''forais'') is a noun derived from the Portuguese word ''foro'', ultimately from Latin ''forum'', equivalent to Spanish ''fuero'', Galician ''foro'', C ...
(''charter'') was issued to the region to provide incentives for settlement, which was reaffirmed in 1271.
[
Around 1306, King ]Denis
Denis may refer to:
People
* Saint Denis of Paris, 3rd-century Christian martyr and first bishop of Paris
* Denis the Areopagite, Biblical figure
* Denis, son of Ampud (died 1236), baron in the Kingdom of Hungary
* Denis the Carthusian (1402–14 ...
ordered the fortification of the town: it was at this time that construction of the castle began, that included the main structure, walls and gates.[
After the rise of John I of Portugal to the Portuguese throne, the castle and associated lands were given to the constable ]Nuno Álvares Pereira
D. Nuno Álvares Pereira, O. Carm. (; 24 June 1360 – 1 November 1431) was a Portuguese general of great success who had a decisive role in the 1383-1385 Crisis that assured Portugal's independence from Castile. He later became a mystic ...
, who later passed them on to his grandson.
A new foral was issued in 1516, by 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
* Ma ...
.[ The reconstruction campaign during Manuel's reign, beginning in 1516, resulted in the fortification with four cylindrical towers defining the rectangular perimeter by Francisco de Arruda (completed in 1531).][
The ]1531 Lisbon earthquake
The 1531 Lisbon earthquake occurred in the Kingdom of Portugal on the morning of 26 January 1531, between 4 and 5 o'clock.
The earthquake and subsequent tsunami resulted in approximately 30,000 deaths. Despite its severity, the disaster had bee ...
destroyed the keep tower of the medieval castle. This structure was then rebuilt by Teodósio I, Duke of Braganza
Dom Teodósio I of Braganza ( pt, Teodósio de Bragança; 1510 – 22 September 1563) was the 5th Duke of Braganza, among other titles. He is known for ceding the title of Duke of Guimarães to Infante Duarte of Aviz, alongside some of the wea ...
, who, at that time, was master of the region and town.[
On 26 May 1834, the ]Concession of Evoramonte
The Concession of Evoramonte, also known as the Convention of Evoramonte,Smith, p. 398 was a document signed on 26 May 1834, in Evoramonte, in Alentejo, between the Constitutionalists and the Miguelites, that ended the period of civil war (182 ...
was signed between Miguel of Portugal and his brother Peter IV of Portugal
Dom Pedro I (English: Peter I; 12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834), nicknamed "the Liberator", was the founder and first ruler of the Empire of Brazil. As King Dom Pedro IV, he reigned briefly over Portugal, where he also becam ...
, in the name of his daughter Maria da Glória
, image = Queen Maria II by John Simpson.jpg
, caption = Portrait by John Simpson, 1835
, succession = Queen of Portugal
, reign =
, predecessor = Pedro IV
, successor = Miguel I
, reg-type = Regents
, regent ...
, ending the Liberal Wars
The Liberal Wars (), also known as the Portuguese Civil War (), the War of the Two Brothers () or Miguelite War (), was a war between liberal constitutionalists and conservative absolutists in Portugal over royal succession that lasted from 1 ...
.[
In 1855 the municipality of Evoramonte was extinguished, and its historical administration divided into the neighbouring municipalities of ]Estremoz
Estremoz () is a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 14,318, in an area of 513.80 km². The city Estremoz itself had a population of 7,682 in 2001. It is located in the Alentejo region.
History
The region around Estremoz ...
, Évora
Évora ( , ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of 1307.08 km2. It is the historic capital of the Alentejo and serves as the seat of the Évora District.
Due to its well-preserved old to ...
, Arraiolos
Arraiolos () is a municipality in Évora District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 7,363, in an area of 683.75 km2. The town of Arraiolos has 3,351 inhabitants. The present Mayor is Silvia Pinto, elected by the Unitary Democratic Coalit ...
and Redondo.[
Between 1930 and 1940, were the first public works to recuperate and renovate the grounds and castle of Evoramonte, under the supervision of the ''Direcção Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais'' (DGMEN).][ These actions, which primarily occurred in 1937, included the restoration of the towers and the consolidation of the parapets.][
Subsequent interventions occurred between 1971-1979, in projects to restore the castle; 1980-1981, in the recuperation of the walls; in 1982, the construction of a sanitation system; followed in 1984 by new restoration projects, culminating in the phase two project in 1986 (which included construction and restoration accompanied with photography of the repairs).][ Finally in 1987, electricity was installed on the grounds.][
On 1 June 1992, under Decree 106F/92, this building was transferred into the stewardship of the ''Instituto Português do Património Arquitectónico'' (IPPAR), in order to rehabilitate and monetize the structure.][
February 2006, marked the beginning of commemorations to celebrate the castle's 700 years of existence.][
]
Architecture
The castle crowns the escarpment of Serra d' Ossa, with a commanding view of the local and distant routes, dominating one of the largest squares in Portugal: the municipality of Estremoz.[
An unusual rectangular building, the castle includes circular towers molded into the structure, providing the castle with an aggressive and powerful characteristics.][ The building is much larger at the base, and is chamfered to the height of its three storeys, and crowned by large ]merlon
A merlon is the solid upright section of a battlement (a crenellated parapet) in medieval architecture or fortifications.Friar, Stephen (2003). ''The Sutton Companion to Castles'', Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2003, p. 202. Merlons are sometimes ...
s. The three floors are clearly delineated by a ring-shaped cornice at each level, typical of the Manueline
The Manueline ( pt, estilo manuelino, ), occasionally known as Portuguese late Gothic, is the sumptuous, composite Portuguese architectural style originating in the 16th century, during the Portuguese Renaissance and Age of Discoveries. Manu ...
style, these cornices are sculpted into a rope, tied at the frontispiece of the structure.[ At various places along the cylindrical towers are canon emplacements, narrower to the interior, that provide an image that is bellicose and somber.][ On each storey there is a rectangular window, except on the ground floor exposed to the north, where a portico is fixed.][
In the large salon on the first floor, the vaulted ovular ceiling is supported by four columns, and raised into a mess of sculpted veins.][ A similar lattice, though smaller, is used in the remaining floors. By the cylindrical towers in the west, a circular staircase provides access to successive floors.][
]
References
;Notes
;Sources
*
*
*
*
External links
Evoramonte Castle gallery
at Fotopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evoramonte Castle
Evoramonte
Evoramonte, or Évora-monte, (officially spelled ''Évora Monte'') is a civil parish in the municipality of Estremoz in the Alentejo Central subregion of Portugal. The population in 2011 was 569, in an area of 99.38 km².
History
Distinguis ...
Manueline architecture
Gothic architecture in Portugal
Evoramonte
Evoramonte, or Évora-monte, (officially spelled ''Évora Monte'') is a civil parish in the municipality of Estremoz in the Alentejo Central subregion of Portugal. The population in 2011 was 569, in an area of 99.38 km².
History
Distinguis ...
National monuments in Évora District
Estremoz