Castelo de Alcobaça/Leiria/Portugal
Posted by: 
100stress
N 39° 33.031 W 008° 58.945
29S E 501510 N 4377871
The medieval castle is located in a dominant position in the northwest on the town, on the left bank Dull, its ruins has a beautiful view over the city, including its famous monastery, the surrounding fields and hills of Lamps.
Waymark Code: WMB8Q2
Location: Leiria, Portugal
Date Posted: 04/19/2011
Views: 15
The medieval castle At the time of the Christian reconquest of the Iberian peninsula, was taken by the forces of King Afonso Henriques (1112-1185), who had repaired and reinforced.
Recaptured and destroyed by the Moors between 1191 and 1195, D. Sancho I (1185-1211) took over the village and their land, donating them to the monks of the Cistercian Order, for the people and defend. Date of this rule reconstruction of the castle to defend the village and its inhabitants, followed by a long period of peace, contributing to the prosperity of the hunting grounds of Alcobaça.
With peace in these areas, the monks were dedicated to viticulture and enology, becoming an international gastronomic reference in the following centuries. Around 1369 the Abbot of Alcobaca, D. Friar John Ornellas, proceeded to strengthen the protection of erecting a castle barbican and it was also rebuilt a castle keep and the entire section of wall facing the monastery. To fund these works, was released a tribute in proportion to income of residents, called “finta”.
In the fifteenth century the castle was severely damaged by the earthquake of 1422, having been provided him the necessary repairs in the year 1424. A little later, Abbot D. Frei Gonçalo Ferreira do rebuild the Keep (1450). In the seventeenth century new works take place to repair the castle (1627). At this stage the prominent east tower is now used as a chain, a position he will play until the 1755 earthquake. Since the appointment of the mayors of the castle prerogative of the abbots of Alcobaça, we know that Geraldo Pereira Coutinho, lens material and canons of Coimbra University was named as Captain-General of the castle, on November 10, 1701. In the first half of the nineteenth century in the reign of King Maria II (1826-1828, 1834-1853), already without defensive or strategic function, it was determined raze the old castle (1838), which was considered extinct in the Proceedings of City Hall (1854).
In the mid-twentieth century, abandoned and stodgy, proceeded to the utilization of their storage tank for drinking water being distributed to the population (1940). A few years later, proceeded to rebuild the wall facing the monastery, from a description left by Frei Fortunato Bonaventure (1952-1953) as well as the works of cleaning of the monument and its surrounding area, including her accesses, during the visit of Queen Elizabeth II of England to Portugal, when he visited Alcobaça (1956). In the 1960s new minor repairs were made (1965).
It is classified as a Public Interest by Decree published since September 12, 1978
Accessibility: Full access
Condition: Completely ruined
Admission Charge?: no
Website: [Web Link]
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