Numão Castle

Category: Military Architecture > Castle

District: Guarda > Vila Nova de Foz Côa > Numão

Location

Numão Castle is located in the village of Numão, in the municipality of Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Guarda district, Portugal.

Views

From the top of the castle, it is possible to see other castles in the region, such as Ansiães, Castelo Melhor, Castelo Rodrigo, Ranhados and Penedono.

National Monument

The castle was classified as a National Monument in 1910.

History

- Prehistory: Human occupation of the site dates back to the Neolithic period.

- Lusitanians and Romans: Initially, there was a Lusitanian castro, which was Romanized.

- Muslim Invasion: During the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, a fortification was erected on the site.

- Christian Reconquest: A castle already existed at the time of the reconquest, belonging to D. Chamoa Rodrigues, who donated it to the Monastery of Guimarães in 960.

- Medieval Period: It passed through various hands and was rebuilt and improved over the centuries. It received a charter in 1130 by Fernão Mendes de Bragança and had new works during the reign of D. Sancho I.

- Decline: From the 16th century onwards, it began to decline, especially after the extinction of the Coutinhos family in 1534.

Characteristics

- Elevated Location: The castle is on a high point, at 677 meters altitude.

- Structure: It has an irregular oval plan, with Romanesque and Gothic elements, covering an area of 2 hectares.

- Walls: The walls have reinforcing towers, originally fifteen, of which six still exist.

- Doors: It has four main doors: São Pedro Door (East), Poente Door (West), False Door (Southeast) and Main Door (South).

- Cistern: In the center of the parade ground, there is a circular cistern with about seven meters in diameter.

- Church Ruins: Near the Main Door, there are the ruins of the Church of Santa Maria do Castelo and a cemetery.

- Keep: To the northeast, the tower has a square plan with high slits and geometric decoration.

- Necropolis: On the eastern slope, near the São Pedro Door, there is a necropolis with anthropomorphic tombs, known as the Moors Cemetery.

Recent Interventions

- 1940s: Consolidation and recovery work on the walls and the keep.

- 1970s: Works due to the collapse of part of the walls.

- 21st Century: Installation of scenic lighting by the municipality.

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

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