Camoeira Tower

Category: Civil Architecture > Manor House

District: Évora > Évora > Torre de Coelheiros > Herdade da Silveira

Location

Situated in the tranquility of Herdade da Silveira, in the locality of Torre de Coelheiros, municipality of Évora, the Tower of Camoeira rises in a typical Alentejo landscape. Nestled on a plain of vast cork oak fields, at an altitude of about 220 meters and close to the left bank of the Xamorra river, this construction benefits from an authentic rural environment, surrounded by agricultural fields and buildings linked to livestock farming. Its position lends it a serenity that invites observation of the rural surroundings.

Origins and Characterization

The Tower of Camoeira represents a remarkable example of late-medieval residential architecture, having been built between the 15th and 16th centuries. This type of construction, known as a "casa-torre" (tower-house) or domus-fortis, symbolized the presence and power of the lords of the land. Its original conception harmoniously combined the function of a noble dwelling (for both temporary and permanent stays) with defensive elements that gave it military robustness. Granite, the predominant material, lends it lasting solidity and a natural integration into the landscape.

Architecture and Details

The main tower features a quadrangular plan and rises three stories high, culminating in an accessible terrace distinguished by its cord frieze. The western facade, presumed to have been the main entrance, reveals a projecting body with a straight-lintel granite portal, flanked by buttresses. Various straight-lintel window openings are also observed, some in marble, and an oculus that adds a distinctive touch. On the eastern facade, three twisted tubular gargoyles protrude, while at the southwest corner, a balcony is supported by artistically ornamented corbels. The terrace roof and the staircase's conical spire-shaped finial add singularity to this structure, whose style, in certain aspects, evokes the Manueline.

Noble Legacy

The history of the Tower of Camoeira intertwines with important families of the Portuguese nobility. In the early 15th century, the tower is believed to have been built by António Vaz de Camões, great-uncle of the renowned poet Luís Vaz de Camões, after he became lord of the entailed estate. This family connection is, in fact, one of the hypotheses for the origin of the place name "Camoeira". In the 16th century, during the reign of D. João III, the ground-floor body adjacent to the tower was added. The interior of the building housed dignified divisions, such as a noble hall with masonry coffered vaults. Over the centuries, the property passed through various noble houses, including that of the Counts of Angeja, remaining to this day a lasting testament to a past rich in history and architecture.

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