Castle of Amieira do Tejo
Gothic castle built by the Knights Hospitaler in Nisa.
The Castle of Amieira do Tejo is a Portuguese castle located in the civil parish of Amieira do Tejo, municipality of Nisa, in the antique district of Portalegre, approximately 200 kilometres from the city of Lisbon. It was built by the Knights Hospitaler and is a notable example of Gothic military architecture.
Quick Facts
- Location
- Portalegre, Alto Alentejo, Alentejo
- Country
- Portugal
- Owner
- Portuguese Republic
- Open to public
- Public
- Built
- c. 1256
- Materials
- Granite
- Calcium Oxide
- Sand
- Wood
- Tile
Facts from the source article.
History
In 1232, a regal charter from King Sancho II allowed the Knights Hospitaler to expand southward, taking possession of the villas of Amieira, Gavião and Crato. The Order carried out construction in Crato to establish their institutional seat. The castle at Amieira was built about a century later, under the responsibility of Álvaro Gonçalves Pereira, prior of the Order of the Hospital and son of the Archbishop of Braga Gonçalo Pereira. Gonçalo Pereira had transferred the Order from Leça do Bailio to Crato e Mártires in 1356. The castle was intended to assist travelling pilgrims. Its military importance declined as defence lines shifted; by the 18th century much of the structure was abandoned, with parts adapted for residences. The prison tower was partially recuperated, but military use ceased. In the 19th century the central courtyard became a local cemetery, used until the 1940s, when the DGEMN promoted reconstruction. The castle has been a National monument since 10 November 1922.
Architecture
The castle is accessed from the Praça de Nun'Alvares, reachable via the EN 359 motorway or the A6 and EN 118 roadways. It sits in an urban environment on relatively planar terrain, with a slight incline on the western side; houses lie to the north and east, while agricultural fields and orchards are to the south and west. The Castle of Amieira is a prototypical Gothic Portuguese castle, rectangular in plan with a walled courtyard and four towers at its apexes. The prison block occupies the largest tower, above the main entrance, and also served defensive purposes at the most vulnerable point. The central courtyard is ample, allowing troop placement and movement. The castle had two levels of complementary defence: a pit (no longer extant) and a barbican to the rear, forming a secondary landing during siege. Outside the walls, near one tower, stands the Chapel of São João Baptista, dating from 1556, with a vaulted decorated ceiling, an image of Saint John, and a late Renaissance retable.
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