Núcleo Intramuros da Vila de Serpa - Serpa, Portugal
Posted by: 
tmob
N 37° 56.632 W 007° 35.986
29S E 623033 N 4200511
The inside-walls urban area of the town of Serpa, was declared as public interest on June 6th, 2011
Waymark Code: WMDQ4J
Location: Beja, Portugal
Date Posted: 02/13/2012
Views: 2
The town of Serpa is a settlement of prehistoric origins, was occupied successively by Romans and Arabs, and finally conquered by Christian troops in the first quarter of the thirteenth century.
With the final conquest of the town in 1230, by Templar troops, the urban area of Serpa was being developed gradually. In 1295, D. Dinis granted it's first charter, ordering the construction of a large curtain of walls, which used part of the structure of the Islamic walled citadel.
This rectangular enclosure that corresponds to the walls of D. Dinis was gradually occupied by medieval houses. However, the fourteenth century brought a slowdown in growth, and only two hundred years later, during the reign of King D. Manuel, the town would grow again, expanding beyond the walls, with the creation of the parish of Salvador.
The enclosure of medieval walls, although currently greatly damaged, can still be reconstituted. Forming a polygonal design, which at the time of its construction was a large fortress; the castle includes the quadrangular castle keep and the quadrangular Alcazaba.
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