Castelo de Almourol [HDR] Almourol Castle

            O Castelo de Almourol, no Ribatejo, localiza-se na Freguesia de Praia do Ribatejo, Concelho de Vila Nova da Barquinha, Distrito de Santarém, em Portugal.

Erguido num afloramento de granito a 18 m acima do nível das águas, numa pequena ilha de 310 m de comprimento por 75 m de largura, no médio curso do rio Tejo, um pouco abaixo da sua confluência com o rio Zêzere, à época da Reconquista integrava a chamada Linha do Tejo, actual Região de Turismo dos Templários. Constitui-se num dos exemplos mais representativos da arquitectura militar da época, evocando simultaneamente os primórdios do reino de Portugal e a Ordem dos Templários, associação que lhe reforça a aura de mistério e romantismo.

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The Almourol Castle is situated in a small rocky island, in the middle of the Tagus river, in Portugal. The castle was a Knights Templar stronghold used during the Reconquista.
The site has been occupied since the antiquity. It is believed it was a primitive lusitanian redoubt and was populated from Roman times until the late Middle Ages. It is certain that in 1129, when Portuguese troops conquered the land, the castle already existed and was called Almorolan.
The site was given to the Knights Templar, who built a settlement between the Mondego and the Tagus rivers. At the time, they were the ones responsible for the defence of the capital, then Coimbra. The castle has been rebuilt, but it is assumed the architectural characteristics remain largely the same today.

Through an epigraph, placed on the main gate, we know that the reconstruction ended in 1171, two years after the building of the Castle of Tomar. The two castles have several characteristics in common, both built in the same style of military Templar architecture. Both opted for a quadrangular disposal of the spaces. The high walls are protected by nine circular towers, with a jail-tower at the center of the structure.

These last characteristics constitute two of the innovative elements which the Knights Templar brought to military architecture in Portugal. The jail, which appeared first in the 11th century in Tomar, the main Templar defensive redoubt in Portugal, is unusual in pre-Romanic castles. The jail tower of the castle of Almourol had three levels and was significantly modified over time, while it still retains important features. The design of walls with equally placed towers along the walls, was brought to the western Iberian peninsula by the knights.
After the Order of the Knights Templar was eradicated in 1307, and the Portuguese reconquista ended, there was no longer any need for the stronghold, and the Almourol Castle was abandoned and forgotten. In the 19th century the castle was popularized as an example of chivalric and romantic ideals of the Middle Ages. Many of the original structures were destroyed in a failed attempt to recreate the grand medieval monument, without remaining true to its heritage.
   

Taken on: March 15, 2008

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Camera: E-510, 14mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	E-510
Focal Length:	14mm
ISO:	100
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows
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