It is located in the parish of Santa Maria, town and municipality of Óbidos, District of Leiria, Central Portugal
The primitive human occupation dates back to prehistory due to its proximity to the Atlantic coast, arousing the interest of invading peoples from the Iberian Peninsula: Lusitanians (4th century BC), Romans (1st century), Visigoths (5th to 6th centuries) and Muslims (8th century).
The Muslims (8th century) built the town's fortification, as can be seen by observing certain sections of the wall with Moorish features.
In the context of the Christian Reconquest of the Peninsula, the forces of King D. Afonso Henriques (1112-85), after the conquests of Santarém and Lisbon (1147), encountered fierce resistance to conquer the town and its castle, which finally happened through a ruse (10 January 1148). The castle has been documented since 1153.
The Castle donated as a wedding gift by D. Dinis (1279-1325) to Queen Santa Isabel during the nuptials held there, the town became part of the dowry of all the queens of Portugal until 1834 when the king had the Keep erected (c. 1325).
Under the reign of D. João II (1481-1495), Queen Dona Leonor chose the town and its castle to reside after the accidental death of her only son, Prince D. Afonso also opted (1494) for the region's thermal waters to treat the illness that would later victimize that monarch.
His successor, Manuel I of Portugal donated a new charter to Óbidos (1513), carrying out important improvements to the town and its castle and it is from this phase, in the 16th century, the reconstruction of the Paços do Alcaide by the mayor D. João de Noronha.
The 1755 earthquake caused serious damage to the structure, due to lack of money it could not be rebuilt.
In the context of the Peninsular War, the Óbidos fortification fired the first artillery shots in the battle of Roliça (1808), the first defeat of Napoleon's troops.
Later, the Albarrã tower was adapted to the Clock Tower (1842) and the external staircase was built to access the Tower of D. Fernando (1869).
From 1932 onwards, the complex underwent the first reconstruction and restoration interventions carried out by the General Directorate of National Buildings and Monuments, which continued over the following decades until the present day, with the castle's space being reclassified as Pousada do Castelo (1948-1950).
The castle rises 79 meters above sea level, with an irregular rectangular (organic) plan, mixing elements of the Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline and Baroque styles, distributed over two main areas: the castle (currently Pousada do Castelo, or Pousada de Óbidos) and the intra-wall neighborhood.
The perimeter of the walls, reinforced by square and cylindrical towers, reaches 1,565 meters, completely covered by a wall defended by a crenellated parapet, in some sections the walls rise to 13 meters in height.
The section of the wall constitutes the nucleus of the wider wall that surrounds the castle and the town, and which, extending on both sides towards the south for 500 meters, closes the perimeter at a point at the so-called Torre do Facho.
Access is via four doors and two shutters, highlighting the Porta da Vila or Porta de Nossa Senhora da Piedade, topped by an inscription, placed there by King D. João IV (1640-1656) and which says: “The Virgin Our Lady was conceived without original sin”, inside there is a chapel with a balcony covered in 18th century tiles.
The town's pillory built in granite has on one side the shield with the royal weapons, and on the other the shrimp boat of D. Leonor, who is queen, donated to the town the memory of the net in which fishermen brought her son who died in a hunting accident.
The town's 3 km long aqueduct (joining Monte da Usseira and Óbidos) ordered to be built by Queen Catherine of Austria, wife of D. João III (1521-1557), transported the water that supplied the Óbidos fountains.
The Cruzeiro da Memória was built in commemoration of the taking of Óbidos from the Moors by D. Afonso Henriques, it marks the place where he set up camp before conquering the town.
The Muslims (8th century) built the town's fortification, as can be seen by observing certain sections of the wall with Moorish features.
In the context of the Christian Reconquest of the Peninsula, the forces of King D. Afonso Henriques (1112-85), after the conquests of Santarém and Lisbon (1147), encountered fierce resistance to conquer the town and its castle, which finally happened through a ruse (10 January 1148). The castle has been documented since 1153.
The Castle donated as a wedding gift by D. Dinis (1279-1325) to Queen Santa Isabel during the nuptials held there, the town became part of the dowry of all the queens of Portugal until 1834 when the king had the Keep erected (c. 1325).
Under the reign of D. João II (1481-1495), Queen Dona Leonor chose the town and its castle to reside after the accidental death of her only son, Prince D. Afonso also opted (1494) for the region's thermal waters to treat the illness that would later victimize that monarch.
His successor, Manuel I of Portugal donated a new charter to Óbidos (1513), carrying out important improvements to the town and its castle and it is from this phase, in the 16th century, the reconstruction of the Paços do Alcaide by the mayor D. João de Noronha.
The 1755 earthquake caused serious damage to the structure, due to lack of money it could not be rebuilt.
In the context of the Peninsular War, the Óbidos fortification fired the first artillery shots in the battle of Roliça (1808), the first defeat of Napoleon's troops.
Later, the Albarrã tower was adapted to the Clock Tower (1842) and the external staircase was built to access the Tower of D. Fernando (1869).
From 1932 onwards, the complex underwent the first reconstruction and restoration interventions carried out by the General Directorate of National Buildings and Monuments, which continued over the following decades until the present day, with the castle's space being reclassified as Pousada do Castelo (1948-1950).
The castle rises 79 meters above sea level, with an irregular rectangular (organic) plan, mixing elements of the Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline and Baroque styles, distributed over two main areas: the castle (currently Pousada do Castelo, or Pousada de Óbidos) and the intra-wall neighborhood.
The perimeter of the walls, reinforced by square and cylindrical towers, reaches 1,565 meters, completely covered by a wall defended by a crenellated parapet, in some sections the walls rise to 13 meters in height.
The section of the wall constitutes the nucleus of the wider wall that surrounds the castle and the town, and which, extending on both sides towards the south for 500 meters, closes the perimeter at a point at the so-called Torre do Facho.
Access is via four doors and two shutters, highlighting the Porta da Vila or Porta de Nossa Senhora da Piedade, topped by an inscription, placed there by King D. João IV (1640-1656) and which says: “The Virgin Our Lady was conceived without original sin”, inside there is a chapel with a balcony covered in 18th century tiles.
The town's pillory built in granite has on one side the shield with the royal weapons, and on the other the shrimp boat of D. Leonor, who is queen, donated to the town the memory of the net in which fishermen brought her son who died in a hunting accident.
The town's 3 km long aqueduct (joining Monte da Usseira and Óbidos) ordered to be built by Queen Catherine of Austria, wife of D. João III (1521-1557), transported the water that supplied the Óbidos fountains.
The Cruzeiro da Memória was built in commemoration of the taking of Óbidos from the Moors by D. Afonso Henriques, it marks the place where he set up camp before conquering the town.
