Castle of Pinhel

The Castle of Pinhel (Castelo de Pinhel) is a medieval fortress on a hill above the Côa valley in central-eastern Portugal, in Guarda District. The town is known as the "Cidade Falcão", the Falcon City, and its fortifications rank among the more important ones in the Côa valley. The site has held National Monument status since 1950.

Where is the Castle of Pinhel and what surrounds it?

The castle stands in the historic centre of Pinhel, in the municipality of the same name. The hill looks over the Côa river and the Marofa range, so the area around the walls offers wide views. Its coordinates are roughly 40.777 N, 7.062 W. The fortress forms part of a former citadel, of which gates and towers survive.

How was the castle built?

A fortified enclosure existed on this hill as far back as pre-Roman times. In 1189 King Sancho I granted Pinhel a charter (foral), a sign of the place's strategic value, and the castle followed. The complex was developed under Afonso II and rebuilt and enlarged under King Denis (Dinis). The keep was added later, under Manuel I.

Why did Pinhel matter?

In the Middle Ages the young Portuguese kingdom needed a line of fortified towns along the Spanish frontier. That line included Trancoso, Marialva, Guarda, Castelo Rodrigo, Almeida and Castelo Mendo, as well as Pinhel. Its frontier position led successive monarchs to keep these defences in service, which also supported their territorial claims.

What to look for within the walls

• Six square towers, raised between the late 12th and early 13th centuries and consolidated later, around the time Manuel I confirmed the town charter in 1510.
• Six gates topped with rounded and broken arches: Porta da Vila, Santiago, Marrocos, São João, Alvacar and Marialva.
• The keep, built on an oval plan with Manueline features, visible in a mullioned window and a window with a straight lintel.
• Machicolations on two of the towers still standing in the citadel precinct, one of them the keep.

Frequently asked questions

Which period does the castle belong to? The first defences are much older, but its present form owes most to the rebuilding under Denis and to the keep added under Manuel I.

Is it a protected monument? Yes, it has been a Portuguese National Monument since 1950.

Where exactly is it? In the town of Pinhel, Guarda District, on a hill above the Côa river.

What can I combine it with? A walk through the old town, a look at the gates and towers, and other fortresses of the region such as Trancoso, Marialva or Castelo Mendo.

The Castle of Pinhel is a rewarding stop for anyone interested in the history of the Portuguese-Spanish frontier and in Manueline touches on defensive architecture.