Castle of Viana do Alentejo, Gothic castle in Viana do Alentejo, Portugal
The Castle of Viana do Alentejo is a Gothic fortress with five cylindrical towers topped with conical spires, connected by tall stone walls in an irregular pentagonal layout. The walls enclose the entire compound and create distinct spaces within for the churches and other structures.
King Denis granted the settlement its town charter in 1313 and funded the construction of the fortification. The castle emerged as a strategic stronghold during a period of royal consolidation in southern Portugal.
Two churches stand inside the walls, each with doors in the Manueline style that reflect the work of a master architect active during Portugal's Age of Discovery. Visitors walking through the castle can see how these doorways blend into the daily use of the space.
An information office located within the castle walls can help orient you and explain what you are seeing. Climbing the walls gives you views across the surrounding landscape and helps you understand the site's position in the region.
Archaeologists working beneath the castle grounds between 2000 and 2005 uncovered an ancient burial site with skeletal remains from centuries before the medieval fortification was built. This discovery reveals that people lived on this land long before the Gothic towers rose.
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