Castle of Moura

Castle of Moura (Castelo de Moura) rises above the town of Moura in the Baixo Alentejo, in the district of Beja, southern Portugal. It is a medieval fortress in the civil parish of Moura e Santo Amador, and it is tied to one of the best-known legends of the region.

Where is the Castle of Moura?

The castle stands in the town of Moura, in the municipality of the same name, in the district of Beja. The coordinates are roughly 38.14° N, 7.45° W, in the heart of the Alentejo, the wide, sparsely populated plains of southeastern Portugal. The fortress sits at the core of the historic town, so a visit combines easily with a walk through Moura's old streets.

What is the history of the castle?

Building of the Moorish walls began in the middle of the 11th century and continued into the 12th century. The defences most likely went up over an earlier Iron Age settlement, which shows how long people had valued this spot. Over the centuries the site was held in turn by the Romans, the Visigoths and the Muslims. Under Muslim rule the town became the capital of the province of Al-Manijah, so the fortress was not a minor outpost but the centre of regional power.

The castle belongs to the wave of medieval fortifications that marked the frontier between Muslim and Christian territories on the Iberian Peninsula. Its walls and towers show how a border town protected itself in that period.

Who was Salúquia?

The castle is inseparable from the legend of Salúquia, and the tale is also said to explain the name of the town. According to tradition, in 1166 Salúquia, daughter of Abu-Hassan and governor of the city, fell in love with Bráfama, the Moorish lord of Aroche. On the way to the wedding, Bráfama and his party were ambushed in an olive grove and killed by the Christian knight Pedro Rodrigues and his brother.

The attackers then put on the clothes of their victims and rode to the town. Salúquia took them for the wedding party from Aroche and had the gates opened. Once inside, the Christians attacked the defenders. When she understood the deception, Salúquia threw herself from a tower of the castle. The name Moura, the Portuguese word for a Moorish woman, is traditionally linked to her story. The tower associated with her, the Tower of Salúquia, still stands in the castle.

Why visit?

• It is a fortress with roots in the 11th century and settlement traces that reach back to the Iron Age.
• It preserves a famous legend that gave the town its name.
• It is set in the historic centre of Moura, in a quiet part of the Alentejo.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Castle of Moura? In the town of Moura, in the Beja district of the Baixo Alentejo, Portugal.

When were its walls built? The Moorish walls date from the middle of the 11th century to the 12th century.

What is the legend of the castle? The story of the Moorish princess Salúquia, who threw herself from a castle tower after a Christian ruse in 1166.

Who occupied the site before the Moors? The Romans and the Visigoths, probably over an Iron Age settlement.

What was Moura in the Muslim period? The capital of the province of Al-Manijah.