Alandroal Castle

Category: Military Architecture > Castle

District: Évora > Alandroal > Alandroal > Nossa Senhora da Conceição

Location

Alandroal Castle stands in the town that shares its name, in the Alentejo region, Évora district. Built at the highest point of the locality of Nossa Senhora da Conceição, its dominant position offers a unique perspective over the urban surroundings and the Alentejo landscape that stretches around it.

Construction and Historical Legacy

The history of Alandroal Castle begins in the late 13th century, under the reign of D. Dinis, at the initiative of the Master of the Order of Aviz, D. Lourenço Afonso. The first stone was laid in 1294, and the fortification was completed just four years later, in 1298. A notable and uncommon particularity relates to the identity of its builder, a master craftsman named Mouro Galvo, whose influence is visible in certain architectural details.

Classified as a National Monument since 1910, the castle underwent significant conservation and restoration work starting in the 1940s. These interventions allowed for the consolidation of the walls and the recovery of its original design, removing constructions that had been added over the centuries, contributing to the good state of preservation that can be observed today.

Architecture and Cultural Marks

Alandroal Castle features an oval plan, characteristic of the Gothic military architecture of the era. The complex is reinforced by three quadrangular towers at its corners and a solid Keep (Torre de Menagem), which stands out on the western side of the walled perimeter. The main entrance, known as Porta Legal (Legal Gate), is flanked by two quadrangular towers and topped with pyramidal merlons. There is also a second gate, the Porta do Arrabalde (Suburb Gate), on the opposite side, where an ancient "vara" (rod), a standard measure used in local trade, can be seen engraved.

The presence of master Mouro Galvo left a distinctive cultural mark on the construction. It is possible to discover elements that reflect his Islamic background, such as a horseshoe-shaped window in one of the towers or a curious epigraphic inscription above one of the gates, which disguises an Arabic phrase in Latin characters, a testament to the fusion of cultures present in the Iberian Peninsula. In the parade ground, inside the fortress, various archaeological remains are exhibited, including funerary stelae from different eras, which enrich the understanding of the site's long human occupation.

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