Castle of Mourão

Location

- Located in the village of Mourão, in the Alentejo region, Évora district.

- Positioned on the left bank of the Guadiana River, offering views of the plain, Monsaraz Castle to the north, and the border with Spain to the east.

Classification

- Classified as a Property of Public Interest since July 18, 1957.

History

Origins

Little is known about the initial occupation; it was important during the Christian Reconquista.

Middle Ages

- Entrusted to the Order of Hospitallers after the Portuguese conquest.

- First Charter of Foral granted in 1226 by Gonçalo Egas to promote settlement.

- New charters granted in 1254 by D. Afonso III and in 1296 by D. Dinis, with reforms to the castle.

- Supported the Master of Avis in the crisis of 1383-1385.

Renaissance

- Featured in the "Book of Fortresses" by Duarte de Armas (c. 1509).

- Reforms under D. Manuel I with architects Diogo and Francisco de Arruda.

- Construction of the main church in the 16th century.

Philippine Period and Restoration

- Supported Philip II of Spain in the succession crisis of 1580.

- During the Restoration of independence, Pedro de Mendonça Furtado raised the banner of D. João IV.

- Reforms in the 17th century by Nicolau de Langres, with bulwarks and ravelins, of which few vestiges remain.

Characteristics

Walls

- Medieval wall made of schist, marble, and granite.

- Six quadrangular towers.

- Doors flanked by turrets, some with ogival Gothic arches.

Keep

- In Gothic style, with a door to the parade ground.

Interior

- Vestiges of the Guard House and the old Town Hall.

17th Century Reforms

- Inclusion of bulwarks and ravelins.