Portugal
Castle of Penela (Portuguese: Castelo de Penela, Portuguese pronunciation: [kɐʃˌtɛlu ðɨ pɨˈnɛlɐ]) is located in a Penela town in Penela Municipality in Coimbra District, Portugal. The castle was built on a hill dominating the area and used to be a stronghold protecting Coimbra in times of Reconquista. Castle of Penela and the neighboring castle Montemor-o-Velho are both fine examples of defensive structures of that period.
The origins of the name are controversial and are attributed by some authors to ancient Celtic tribes. According to a local legend, King Afonso I (Afonso Henriques) exclaimed to incite his troops storming the stronghold: Coragem! Já estamos com o pé nela! (Courage! We have already set a foot in it!). A more plausible hypothesis is, however, that penela is a diminutive of penha, a place selected to build a fortress on.
Text adapted from “Castle of Penela” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Castle of Penela ranks #7,348 of 9,079 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #147 of the 212 mapped in Portugal. 4 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Leiria, 48 km away. See how Portugal compares in the castle statistics.
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