Castle of Braga

Braga Castle (Portuguese: Castelo de Braga) was located in the city of Braga, freguesia of São João do Souto, District of Braga, in Portugal, but only a small section remains today.

Braga is a city with over 2,000 years of history, and as an important administrative centre (civil and religious), its defences have undergone various phases of construction.

History

Beginnings

Tower of Saint James (*Torre de São Tiago*)

The Hellenistic astronomer and geographer Ptolemy (ca. 90 - ca. 168 AD), in the mid-2nd century, mentions in his work Geographia that the city of Bracara Augusta (present-day Braga) had earlier been under Roman rule. Archeological research sponsored by Minho University has discovered a defensive wall with a polygonal plan, reinforced by small semi-circular turrets, which dates to the 3rd century.

During the Migration Period, the Suebi chose Braga as the capital of their kingdom due to its importance and traditions. However, the city declined in prominence over the next centuries as the Visigoths conquered it, the Moors sacked it and the Christian forces of the Kingdom of León took it.

Although reliable information about the evolution of Braga's defences during these turbulent times is lacking, it is known that, from the 11th century, a second wall was under construction, to the south and to the west, complementing the old Roman wall to the north. Furthermore, it is known that in 1145, Archbishop John of Braga promised the Knights Templar an imposing house within the city walls.

The medieval castle

In the 13th century, a new phase of construction began with the abandonment of the northern part of the Roman wall and the growth of the city around Braga Cathedral. Little information exists about this period, only that, during the reign of King Dinis (1279-1325), a new wall was begun, as was a keep. Work progressed slowly and, during the reign of King Ferdinand (1367-1383), the new wall proved ineffective, as it permitted troops from Castile to invade the city in the 1370s. During the 1383–1385 Crisis, Braga, like other cities in northern Portugal, remained loyal to Castile. However, when a new king was acclaimed by the Coimbra Cortes of 1385, the city opened its gates to him. King John I (1385-1433) also paid attention to its defences, reinforcing its walls with new rectangular towers.

Since the 16th century

Starting in the 16th century, the castle's defensive functions fell into disuse, as can be seen by the number of buildings raised right along its outside walls.

In 1906, Braga Castle was unceremoniously demolished, with only the keep (Torre de Menagem) remaining.

On 23 June 1910 a decree classified the keep and some sections of the medieval wall as a national monument.

Features

Chapel of Our Lady of the Tower, Braga, Portugal.

From the 13th century the city walls had an approximately circular plan. A combination of archaeological evidence and documents allows for the walls' general lines to be reconstructed, but the exact location of the gates (of which there were at least four) and the towers is unknown. Starting at the Porta Nova Arch, an 18th-century construction that replaced one of the old gates, the wall ran north-northeast along the Rua dos Biscainhos, its northernmost point being what was later called the Field of Vines (Campo da Vinha), and looped around southeast along the Rua dos Capelistas, touching the castle wall, after which, continuing southwest and then south, northwest and again north, it passed through the Field and Tower of Saint James (Campo e Torre de São Tiago), the Oaks' Square (Largo das Carvalheiras) and the Saint Michael the Angel Square (Largo de São Miguel-o-Anjo), before finishing at the Porta Nova.

To the east, the keep is the main remaining portion of the castle raised during King Dinis' reign. Square and Gothic, it is some 30 metres high, divided into three floors in the interior. At the top, there are parapets in each corner and a double window. The roof is ringed with battlements. King Dinis' coat of arms is carved inside the tower and on its western façade.

External links

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