Walls of the Old Odemira Castle (existing sections)

Category: Military Architecture > Wall

District: Beja > Odemira > Odemira > Bairro do Símplicio

Location of the walls

near the Cerro do Peguinho garden, inside the village of Santa Maria, in the municipality of Odemira.

Shape and delimitation of the walls

wide wedge-shaped esplanade, with an oval outline, extending along the south-facing slope.

- Possibility of the existence of a second wall surrounding the village, but without significant remaining evidence of this structure.

Current state of the walls

described as ruins, evidencing the castle's decline from the 15th century onwards, however part of the walls is still visible.

Use of the ruins

the Odemira Municipal Library building was built inside the castle ruins, preserving and taking advantage of this historical space.

History of the castle

dates back to the Bronze Age and Roman times, with occupation throughout the centuries. During the Islamic period, the fortress played an important role in controlling the river and possibly was part of a defensive line.

- After the Christian reconquest, the castle was donated to different nobles and went through periods of abandonment and reconstruction.

Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castelo_de_Odemira

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt