Castle of Almeida

Castle of Almeida is a fortress town in the Guarda District of eastern Portugal, a few kilometres from the Spanish border. Seen from above, it looks like a sharp-armed star pressed into the plateau. People still live inside, and its stone lanes lead to houses, cafes and a museum.

How did the fortress of Almeida come about?

The first stronghold rose here in 1296 under King Denis, who was reinforcing the frontier with Castile. The medieval castle served as a border watchpost for centuries. The main outline of the present defences dates from the 17th century, during the War of the Portuguese Restoration, when the country was defending itself against Spain. Around 1640 the engineer Antoine Deville designed the bastioned system, which was finished in the following years.

Why is it shaped like a star?

The layout belongs to the style associated with the French engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. Bastions and ravelins jutting out from the walls let defenders fire on attackers from several angles, so no stretch of wall was a blind spot. A deep moat surrounds the works, and the walls are built of cut stone. Vaulted tunnel gateways lead inside, and casemates under the ramparts sheltered troops and supplies.

What happened in 1810?

Almeida was the main Portuguese fortress on the northern invasion route from Spain, the counterpart of Spanish Ciudad Rodrigo. In July 1810 a French army besieged the town. The day before, the French had pushed back the Anglo-Portuguese force at the Battle of the Côa. An artillery shell landed in the castle courtyard and ignited a trail of powder running from a leaking barrel to the magazine. The explosion destroyed the castle and the cathedral, stripped the roofs from most houses and killed over 500 defenders, including half the gunners. The garrison surrendered and the French took the fortress.

What can you see today?

• Walks along the walls, bastions and gates, with views over the surrounding fields.
• Casemates and underground passages beneath the ramparts.
• The lanes of the town inside the fortifications.
• Buildings rebuilt after the explosion within the old fortress limits.

Coordinates: 40.7256 N, 6.9074 W.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Castle of Almeida? In the town of Almeida, Guarda District, near the Spanish border.

When was the fortress built? The first castle dates to 1296, and the present bastions to the 17th century.

Why was the castle destroyed in 1810? A French shell set off the powder magazine during the siege, wrecking the castle and cathedral.

Do people live inside? Yes, the town operates within the fortress walls.

What style are the fortifications? Bastioned, in the tradition associated with Vauban.