Moorish Castle

When the Knights Templar took over the defense and care of the Castle, they reinforced the existing structures by adding a second line of walls to protect the animals, harvest, and population better. This added wall of protection was called the Second Ring of Walls, the requirement of which indicates a sizeable population in the immediate vicinity of the castle.

Like various other settles that came both before and after the Moors, the Castle also had a considerable amount of silos used for storing leguminous harvest and cereal. Inside the Castle, their cavities have been found in the rocky substrate, semi-spherically shaped, varying in depths and sizes.

When Ferdinand II set about commissioning works at the Castle, parts of the Christian burial grounds were destroyed due to which a tomb had to be built in order to house the bones found there. Since it was jot possible at that time to distinguish if they were Christian or Moorish human remains, the inscription reads, “What man brought together, only God may separate”.

Built of granite, the thick walls of the church were both in the 12th century after Afonso Henriques took over and remained a place of worship till the 14th century. Ferdinand II later transformed the building into a romantic ruin set in the Park of Pena. Today, the Church of São Pedro de Canaferrim stands as the Moorish Castle Interpretation Centre.

The conquest by Afonso Henriques led to the Islamic neighborhoods being destroyed and a Christian burial site was built in its stead. Archaeological findings point to the fact that the cemetery was in use for about 300 years in addition to artifacts with Neolithic chronology being found.

Adjacent to the eastern wall, there are remains of structures that seem to have been covered at one point although their function has not been determined yet. The most popular theory is that these spaces were used as stables and then to house domestic animals.

With a massive capacity of 600 cubic meters, the Cistern at the Moorish Castle was covered with a vault and two ventilation chimneys. The Cistern served the dual purpose of providing refuge to people within the castle when they were forced to sit out a siege, and by supplying the water needed by the inhabitants of the Moorish Castle.

The Door of Betrayal was located in the most uneven and least used part of the Moorish castle. During times of conflict, the door provided discrete access to the outside world and in extreme times, it was used for flight. Since the door was just an opening in the wall, enemies could use it to enter the castle as well.

The Castle Keep was a small stronghold where the local authorities lived, and was a part of the main Keep Tower of the Moorish Castle. Built at one of the highest points, the Castle Keep was a highly fortified structure that was visible from the Atlantic Ocean and across the surrounding plains to the north of the hills.