The Castle of Leiria (Portuguese : Castelo de Leiria) is a medieval castle in the civil parish of Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes, municipality of Leiria, district of Leiria.
The Castle of Leiria (Portuguese : Castelo de Leiria) is a medieval castle in the civil parish of Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes, municipality of Leiria, district of Leiria.
The castle of Leiria was built by D. Afonso Henriques for the purpose of creating a line of defense against the Arabs. In 1142 he reinforced the defense of the castle after regaining Leiria. D. Sancho I ordered erection of the walls of the castle in 1195. [1] In 1324 D. Dinis ordered construction of the keep (Tower of Menagem) which was completed only during the reign of D. Afonso IV. In the early 16th century D. Manuel ordered a sacristy to be built between the main chapel and the bell tower. [2] [3]
Throughout the centuries the castle gradually lost its military value. It was badly damaged during the French invasion. [1] At the end of the 19th century restoration of the castle started in 1915 by the initiative of Liga dos Amigos do Castelo. [2] The restoration project was directed by Ernesto Korrodi between 1921 and 1933, and then by Baltazar de Vastro. [2]
The castle hosted important events as the meetings of the first courts called by D. Afonso III; became the residence of D. Denis and Queen Elizabeth; transformed into a meeting venue for the new court in the reign of D. Ferdinand I and the marriage of D. João I's son D. Afonso was celebrated in this castle as well. [1]
It has been listed as a National monument since 1910. [2] [4]
The castle was damaged by the 1969 earthquake. [2]
The present configuration of the castle of Leiria was influenced by the 4 major construction periods: the 12th century's Romanesque, the 14th century's Gothic Dionysus, the early 15th century's Gothic Johannine and the restoration trends of late 19th and early 20th century. [4]
The shape of the castle is irregular polygonal with solid walls and towers. [1] [4] Paços Reais (Royal Palace), the Church of Nossa Senhora da Pena, Menagem Tower, the former Collegiate space, and medieval barns are located inside the complex. [1] [5] The castle has 4 floors; the lower two floors are hardly seen from outside and are intended for domestic services. [4] There is a large loggia with eight arches of twin capitals. The loggia has the panorama over the city and was used as a place for leisure and socializing. [4] The loggia is accessed through a room called Royal Hall or Noble Hall which has a total area of 130 square meters used for receptions by monarchs. [4]
Stonemasonry, brick and concrete were used in the construction. [2]
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39°44′49″N8°48′36″W / 39.747°N 8.810°W
