Castle Fortress of Almeida, Medieval fortress in Almeida, Portugal
Castle Fortress of Almeida is a star-shaped fortification at the Portuguese-Spanish border, built around six bastions linked by a continuous system of curtain walls. Inside the walls there is a small inhabited village, with houses, a church, and civic buildings all enclosed within the defensive ring.
A medieval castle stood on this hill from the 14th century, but was rebuilt as a modern fortification during the 17th century following the Portuguese Restoration War. The new design followed the Vauban style of military engineering, then widely used across Europe to replace older medieval walls.
The village inside the walls still follows the street plan laid out centuries ago, with stone houses lining narrow lanes. The parish church at the center remains a gathering point for the small community that lives there today.
You enter through one of three arched gateways and can walk along the top of the earthen ramparts, which give open views over the surrounding countryside. Some sections of the ground are uneven, so sturdy footwear is a good idea before you set off.
During the French siege of 1810, a cannonball hit the gunpowder magazine inside the fortress, triggering an explosion that destroyed much of the interior in seconds. The scars of that event are still visible in the cracked sections of the walls and the uneven ground left behind.
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