Castle of Guarda: A Historic Fortress in Portugal

Visitor Information

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Country: Portugal

Civilization: Unclassified

Remains: Military

History

The Castle of Guarda is situated in the city and municipality of Guarda in Portugal. Its origins extend far back, with early settlement linked to a castro, or fortified hill settlement, on the slopes of the Serra da Estrela mountain range. During the 1st century, the Romans occupied the site, referring to it as Lancia oppidana, marking its importance in regional administration and defense. The modern name “Guarda” derives from “Warda,” a term introduced by the Visigoths, reflecting the area’s early medieval Germanic influence.

Construction of the medieval castle began around the late 12th century under the reign of King Sancho I, who was instrumental in establishing Guarda as a significant urban center by relocating the diocesan seat from Egitânia and granting a municipal charter in 1199. The earliest surviving structure, known as the Torreão, dates from 1187, marking the initial efforts to fortify the growing settlement.

King Afonso II further developed the castle during his reign in the early 13th century by initiating the construction of the central keep tower, known as the Torre de Menagem, and reinforcing northern defensive walls near the Porta d’El Rei. Across the late 13th and early 14th centuries, several monarchs contributed to the castle’s fortifications. King Dinis expanded the walls and towers, King Fernando I continued enhancements during the late 14th century, and King João I added further defensive works, including the Torre dos Ferreiros and completion of northern and southern wall sections.

The castle played an active role during the 1383–1385 crisis when it resisted Castilian forces in 1384 under its commander Álvaro Gil Cabral, ensuring its strategic importance in the defense of Portugal. In the early 15th century, the Torre Nova was constructed near the Porta da Covilhã gate, further strengthening the fortifications.

By the 18th century, Guarda and its castle had a military role beyond defense against regional powers, as King Pedro II used the city as a base in 1704 to plan an invasion of Spain. At this time, the defensive network included multiple gates such as Porta Nova (revealed as Porta da Covilhã in later accounts), Porta do Curro, Porta Falsa, Porta da Erva (also called Porta da Estrela), Porta d’El Rei, and Porta dos Ferreiros, alongside key towers like the Torre de Menagem and Torre dos Ferreiros.

During the 19th century, urban expansion led to significant demolition of the medieval walls and many towers, including the Torreão, Porta do Curro, and Torre Nova. Despite this, the castle’s remnants received protected status in 1910 as a National Monument. Further destruction occurred into the mid-20th century, but from the 1940s onwards, restoration and archaeological efforts by national heritage authorities began, continuing with excavations and preservation work into the early 21st century.

Remains

The Castle of Guarda occupies an irregular polygonal footprint designed to adapt to the natural slopes of its site, constructed mainly of local granite. Its architecture reflects a blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles developed over several centuries. The fortress comprised two principal zones: the alcáçova, or citadel, dominated by a pentagonal keep tower known as the Torre de Menagem, and the almedina, the outer district enclosed by the city’s defensive walls.

The Torre de Menagem stands as the castle’s central stronghold. Originally featuring two floors accessed through a straight lintel doorway, its interior now has three levels and rests on a granite outcrop. Nearby, the Torre Velha, or Torreão, set apart from the main walls, displays a polygonal shape with a round-arched window, representing the earliest fortification enveloping the alcáçova and dating from the late 12th century.

On the mid-slope lies the Torre dos Ferreiros, a quadrangular tower with a distinctive double-angled entrance. This tower includes a niche protected by an iron grille, functioning as an oratory dedicated to the Cristo Crucificado, known locally as Senhor dos Aflitos. The Torre dos Ferreiros remains a prominent element of the heavily reduced city walls and bears one of the original Stations of the Cross that once formed part of a Via Sacra (a series of religious shrines or stations).

Despite extensive loss, several wall sections survive on different sides of the castle precinct. To the east, fragments run from Rua Tenente Valadim to the Torre dos Ferreiros, along Rua Lopo de Carvalho, and from the Porta da Erva to the Torreão by Avenida Bombeiros Voluntários. Northern remnants are visible on Avenida Bombeiros Voluntários and near the Porta d’El Rei on Travessa do Povo. On the west side, the stretch from Rua Salvador do Nascimento includes the remains of Porta Falsa.

Key gates that survive illustrate the castle’s defensive layout and construction. The Porta da Erva, also known as Porta do Sol or Porta da Estrela, features contrasting arch designs: a round arch with irregular stones on the interior and a pointed arch on the exterior, with evidence of a previously larger round arch above. Porta dos Ferreiros is an angled entrance defended by the adjacent quadrangular tower. Its two access points show varied arch forms: depressed arches on the interior with round arches externally on the western face, and pointed arches inside with round arches outside on the southern face, crowned by a walkway.

The west-facing Porta d’El Rei is notable for its pointed arch, marking one of the main entrances. The gates Porta da Covilhã and Porta dos Curros likely date to the initial medieval phase and were connected by Rua Direita, the principal thoroughfare through the city. A later secondary axis was created linking Porta da Erva and Porta d’El Rei, intersecting the Rua Direita midway, indicating evolving urban planning within the city’s defenses.

Throughout the castle, the granite stonework remains robust despite centuries of partial demolition and restoration. Decorative features include the iron-grilled oratory niche on Porta dos Ferreiros and the mix of Romanesque rounded and Gothic pointed arches that characterize the gates and towers, reflecting the gradual architectural evolution of the fortress. Restoration efforts from the mid-20th century onwards have focused on conserving these surviving elements and stabilizing the site’s archaeological integrity.