Castle of Barbacena: A Historic Fortress in Elvas, Portugal

Visitor Information

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Official Website: www.cm-elvas.pt

Country: Portugal

Civilization: Early Modern, Medieval European

Site type: Military

Remains: Fort

History

The Castle of Barbacena is located in the municipality of Elvas, Portugal. The site has roots that possibly extend back to a pre-Roman fortified settlement known as a castro, though the definitive establishment of the castle dates to the Christian reconquest in the 13th century. King Sancho II reclaimed the area from Moorish control in the first half of that century, marking the beginning of its documented history under Portuguese rule.

Following the conquest, the land around Barbacena was granted to Estêvão Anes, who served as chancellor to King Afonso III. In 1273, Anes formalized the settlement’s status by obtaining the first charter, or foral, which regulated the town and its privileges. During the reign of King John I, the lordship of Barbacena changed hands due to political developments, moving from João Fernandes Pacheco, who lost the title for betrayal, to Martim Afonso de Melo, a trusted royal guard and local governor based in Évora.

In the early 16th century, the castle was reported to be in poor condition. On 15 December 1519, King Manuel I issued a new foral and ordered the castle’s reconstruction, reflecting a strategic interest in reinforcing the site. Construction began under the direction of D. Jorge Henriques around 1536 but ceased upon his death in 1572. With its rectangular medieval foundation, the castle was then acquired in 1575 by Diogo de Castro do Rio, the first to carry the title Master of Barbacena.

A significant shift occurred in 1587 when the estate known as the morgadio was auctioned to Martim de Castro. As a condition, two corbels and the castle’s keep tower were to be removed; the keep was eventually demolished early in the following century. During the 17th century, amid the Portuguese Restoration Wars, the fortress underwent modernization that included the addition of a star-shaped bastion and an enhanced main entrance highlighted by a stone portico with decorative pinnacles.

The military importance of the castle is evident in its role during conflicts with Spain. It resisted a siege by Castilian forces in 1645 but eventually surrendered to the Duke of Ossuna in 1658. The fortress faced further sieges during the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 18th century and several times throughout the 19th century, reflecting its strategic position near the border.

The castle remained in the same noble family for generations. In 1816, King John VI granted the title Count of Barbacena to Luís António Furtado de Castro do Rio de Mendonça e Faro. Ownership later passed on in 1896 and then again in 2005, when it was acquired by Mico da Câmara Pereira. In the mid-20th century, the castle was recognized as a Property of Public Interest. In 1974, it was briefly occupied by local residents, and in 2014 it became part of a military tourism initiative by the Portuguese Ministry of National Defense.

Remains

The Castle of Barbacena consists of a medieval garrison castle enclosed within a star-shaped bastion fortress typical of early modern military architecture. The fortress surrounding the castle includes an arrow-shaped forward defensive platform called a revelim, featuring its main entrance on the southwestern side. The outer defenses comprise a half bastion and recessed curtain walls, flanked by two central bastions connected through a second arrow-shaped revelim that houses a guardhouse, all designed to enhance the fort’s protective capabilities.

The original castle reveals a rectangular floor plan with battlements that once lined the rooftops but were later transformed into simpler parapets. The eastern curtain wall is reinforced by rectangular bastions, while on the opposite side, large circular towers stand out. These towers possess vaulted interiors across both ground and upper levels, with narrow window openings or slits—some oriented horizontally—designed for observation and defense. The courtyard inside contains a central cistern, which would have provided water storage, as well as two abandoned cannons and several annex buildings whose functions likely supported garrison activities.

To the east of the castle lies the House of the Governor, a two-story noble residence connected to the fortress’s outer wall. This building includes a central staircase that links the ground floor to a circular tower extending from the wall. On its upper floor, in the northern section, vestiges of a chapel are visible, showing how religious space was incorporated within the defensive structure, integrated along the battlement and part of the residence.

The main gate of the fortress is distinguished by a rectangular masonry frame bordered by pilasters and topped with a pediment decorated with low-relief sculptures. The original door features moulded bases supporting a semicircular stone arch set inside a rectangular frame. Above it, an architrave carries decorative elements including two pinnacles known as coruchéus, which flank a rectangular niche, adding both aesthetic and symbolic value to the entrance.

Surviving fragments of the medieval castle’s original rectangular walls remain visible around the site, alongside the principal entrance and parts of an arched gate that was later enclosed. Various curtain walls and barbican elements of the star-shaped bastion fortress are also preserved, offering insights into the complex defensive system that evolved over centuries. The keep tower, once a prominent feature of the castle, was dismantled early in the 17th century as part of conditions imposed during ownership changes.