Castelo de Leiria - Leiria, Portugal
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member tmob
N 39° 44.815 W 008° 48.565
29S E 516328 N 4399685
Leiria's Castle has been listed as a National monument since 1910.
Waymark Code: WMB5Q1
Location: Leiria, Portugal
Date Posted: 04/08/2011
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member razalas
Views: 17

The Castelo de Leiria situated high above the cobbled streets of Leiria in central Portugal, is perhaps one of the finest examples of a fortification transformed into a residence.

The castle, believed to have been based on a Roman settlement, was constructed in the 12th century under the orders of Afonso Henriques.

The castle's present day appearance is thanks to several renovations, most notably by King João I.

During the 15th century under the orders of King João I, the castle was transformed into a royal palace with large, arched galleries providing views over the city itself. The addition of these galleries (loggia) two twin towers were added each with their own arched galleries. These towers were designed as bedrooms and private quarters for the royal family and were complete with latrines.

Although the additions of these galleries and towers do give Castelo de Leiria it's present day appearance, by the early 20th century they were all but in ruins and have been carefully and sympathetically restored.

Inside the walls of the castle behind the royal palace are the ruins of the Igreja Santa Maria da Pena and the Collegiate Igreja (church). The keep tower was restored by King Dinis I in the 14th century and thanks to careful preservation and conservation it is still possible to climb to it's roof and marvel at the views of the surrounding countryside.

Immediately through the entrance gate at Castelo de Leiria on the right hand side is the guard house, now converted into a reception shop complete with gift shop and toilets.

The castle is open daily with entry costing 2€.

Opening Times of Castelo de Leiria, Portugal

Summer (1 April - 30 September)
Monday - Friday 9.00-18.30
Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays - 10.00 - 18.30

Winter (1 October - 31 March)
Monday - Friday - 9.00 - 17.30
Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays - 10.00 - 17.30

Tower Museum
Tuesdays and Sundays - 10.00-12.00 13.00 - 17.00

-- Source

Designação (Name): Castelo de Leiria

Categoria de protecção (Classification): Classificado como MN - Monumento Nacional

Categoria/Tipologia (Type of heritage): Arquitectura Militar / Castelo

Concelho (City): Leiria

Página do Património na base de dados da DGPC (Page of the Heritage at the DGPC database): [Web Link]

Wikipedia: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
[PT]
- Por favor forneça pelo menos uma foto tirada durante a sua visita.
- Por favor escreva um pouco sobre a sua visita. Diga o que achou. Gostou?

[ENG]
- Please provide at least a photo you have taken during your visit.
- And please write a little about your visit. Tell us what you thought, did you liked it?

Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Património Português (Portuguese Heritage)
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log  
GemaAdri visited Castelo de Leiria - Leiria, Portugal 08/22/2024 GemaAdri visited it
bmps2003 visited Castelo de Leiria - Leiria, Portugal 01/27/2013 bmps2003 visited it
Mcm.90 visited Castelo de Leiria - Leiria, Portugal 12/06/2012 Mcm.90 visited it
paulohercules visited Castelo de Leiria - Leiria, Portugal 06/10/2012 paulohercules visited it
P@v@r0tti visited Castelo de Leiria - Leiria, Portugal 12/14/2011 P@v@r0tti visited it
icmsv visited Castelo de Leiria - Leiria, Portugal 04/29/2011 icmsv visited it
Daniel C visited Castelo de Leiria - Leiria, Portugal 04/11/2011 Daniel C visited it
erma lu visited Castelo de Leiria - Leiria, Portugal 08/13/2008 erma lu visited it

View all visits/logs