Penas Róias Castle
Medieval frontier fortress associated with the Knights Templar and the consolidation of the Portuguese kingdom in the twelfth century.
Sobre
Penas Róias Castle played an important role in the medieval defence of this frontier area of Trás-os-Montes. Although evidence points to earlier occupation of the site, the fortress enters the historical record clearly in 1145, when Penas Róias was granted to the Knights Templar by Fernão Mendes de Bragança. The Templar building campaign is documented by a medieval inscription incorporated into the keep and belongs to the wider programme of Romanesque fortifications associated with the Order of the Temple. The square keep is the principal monumental structure that survives today. The former curtain wall was still depicted by Duarte d’Armas in the early sixteenth century but later disappeared. The castle is classified as a National Monument.
Informação prática
Located at Penas Róias in the municipality of Mogadouro. This is a ruined outdoor fortification; visitors should take particular care around the surviving structures.