Viana do Alentejo Castle
Classified as a national monument, Viana do Alentejo Castle is located in Largo de São Luís 7, parish and municipality of the same name, district of Évora, in Portugal. Approximately equidistant from the cities of Évora and Beja, the castle rises at the southern foot of Monte de São Vicente, in a dominant position over the old part of the town
By Jorge Toth
The Alentejo is known for its peaceful villages, with just over 5000 inhabitants, Viana do Alentejo looks like a ghost village, few people are seen in the streets, and completely forgotten by tour guides, but it has one of the most curious castles in the country . This was carefully restored in 2010, and deserves to be more publicized and known.
It is believed that the primitive occupation of its site dates back to the time of the Roman Invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, marked by the archaeological studies carried out in the surrounding area, in particular at the site of Paredes and at the site of the chapel of Nossa Senhora D'Aires, where remains were identified buildings, a cemetery with gravestones and Roman coins found from the time of the first emperors.
Its domains, originally part of an estate (farm) called "Foxem", owned by the Municipality of Évora, were donated by it, in the first years of the second half of the 13th century, to Egídio Martins, butler of the Curia at the time of Afonso III de Portugal (1248-1279), remaining in possession of his descendants.
After the death of D. Martim Gil, lord of these domains, King Dinis of Portugal (1279-1325) took possession of them, passing in 1313 the Charter of Foral (lease) to the village, a document where it is called as Viana-de- a-par-de-Alvito, regulating their relations and donating one hundred pounds for their fortification works, thus began the construction of the castle and the village fence. With cylindrical towers, it is one of the most notable works of the late Gothic period in Portugal, and includes a church inside the walls with a beautiful Manueline portal. The following year, the village and its domains were donated by the sovereign to his son, the future Afonso IV of Portugal, with the clause not to pass it on to anyone, except his wife, the Castilian Infant D. Beatriz, which he effectively did a few days before he died in 1357.
Under the reign of João II of Portugal (1481-1495), these defenses were remodeled, since the sovereign, having assembled the Cortes in Évora in November 1481, later transferred them to Viana, where they ended up in April from 1482. On that occasion, the sovereign used the Viana Castle as a temporary residence.
In 1489, the fact was repeated Viana de Alvito was chosen as the stage for the great festivities held on the occasion of the wedding of his son, Prince D. Afonso, with the Infanta D. Isabel de Castela and, in January and February 1491, for renovations in the Igreja Matriz.
The reforms continued under the reign of his successor, Manuel de Portugal (1495-1521). Bringing a new look to the castle, with a campaign of works that was in charge of Diogo de Arruda. This resulted in the construction of the two religious spaces and changes in the wall, namely with the introduction of the battlements. The Mother Church of Nossa Senhora da Anunciação stands out in this group for its Manueline matrix, combining various elements of a final Gothic and Renaissance, still emerging in a clear Mudejar influence. The Igreja da Misericórdia de Viana, also in the Manueline style, has a rectangular plan of more modest dimensions, the result of architectural changes that the building underwent throughout the 20th century. Meanwhile, the castle's landmarks disappeared, notably the surrounding moats and bridges through which the castle was accessed.
sources: visitportugal.com, pt.wikipedia.org, lisbonlux.com and patrimoniocultural.gov.pt
