Castle of Mogadouro

The Castle of Mogadouro (Portuguese: Castelo de Mogadouro) is a medieval castle located in the civil parish of Mogadouro, Valverde, Vale de Porco e Vilar de Rei, in the municipality of Mogadouro, Portuguese district of Bragança.

The castle was constructed between 1160 and 1165, in an area then occupied by a small residential nucleus.

Mogadouro was referred in documents associated with its donation by the Braganção (resident from Bragança) Fernão Mendes to the Knights Templars in 1186. During this period of the Iberian Peninsula Reconquista, the region of Miranda was the scene of numerous battles, that involved settlements in Mogadouro, Algoso, Miranda do Douro, Outeiro de Miranda and Vimioso (which marked the Christian defensive line in northeastern Portugal).

In 1197, the region was traded by King D. Sancho I (along with Penas Róias) for Idanha: the monarch became the principal patron of the region's churches by 1199. Yet, the region transferred back to the Knights Templar in 1223, although patronage of the ecclesiastical orders continued to come from the monarch.

On 27 December 1272, King D. Afonso III conceded a foral (charter) to the settlements of Mogadouro and Penas Róias (which was updated a year later), aiming to increase the settlement and defense of the region. São Mamede de Mogadouro continued to function as signeurial fiefdom of the Templars, which transformed it into a commandery, and subsequently elevated it to priory. Consolidation of the religious orders resulted in the 1319 transfer of settlement to the Order of Christ. Throughout this century the castle was expanded and walls reinforced.

During the Dynastic Crisis in 1383, Mogadouro aligned with Castile.

By 1433, it was donated to Álvaro Pires de Távora, whose father had been the alcaide of the castle.

King D. John II visited the settlement in the autumn of 1483 (as referred in the Crónica de Rui de Pina). Transiting the region during a trip between Lamego to Vila Real (en route to Bragança), he stopped in Port and visited places along the Trás-os-Montes and Resende (as recorded by Rui de Pina), when he ordered repairs to the site.

Text adapted from “Castle of Mogadouro” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Castle of Mogadouro ranks #6,741 of 8,134 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #150 of the 205 mapped in Portugal. Founded 1160, it is older than 81% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 564 atlas entries founded in the 12th century. 3 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Vila Real, 86 km away. See how Portugal compares in the castle statistics.

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