Almeida is a small fortress town in Portugal. Almeida is one of the twelve historic villages, the Aldeias Históricas.
the place received its greatest importance in the Middle Ages, during the Reconquista and in the subsequent disputes over the preservation of the independence of Portugal. In 1296 Almeida received its first town charter (Foral), which was renewed in 1510.
Almeida is a fortress city.
The city walls are arranged in a star shape around the city center. Almeida is mentioned in the “Chronicle of the Goths” for the year 1039 when it is said that many cities in Extremadura, including Vilar Torpim, Almeida and Idanha on the banks of the Tagus, were conquered by the Moors. In 1296 the fortress first appeared in a charter in the Treaty of Alcañices, which confirmed the possession and repair of the damaged buildings by King Dinis. The patron saint is Nossa Senhora das Candeias (Our Lady of the Candles). During the Napoleonic Wars on the Iberian Peninsula, General Junot moved here in 1807. During the last passage of French troops under General Masséna in 1811, the fortress suffered some destruction.
Along with the Valença and Elvas fortress squares, it is considered one of the most monumental squares in Portugal. It was confronted with the Real Fuerte de la Concepción, on the opposite side of the Spanish-Portuguese border.
Access : Coordinates: 40.725437, -6.907053 / Almeida is a Portuguese municipality in the district of Guarda, in the province of Beira Alta, Centro region (Beiras Region) and Beiras and Serra da Estrela sub-region. / Distance and time to other important points in the country : Lisbon – 344 km 3 h 20 min , Porto – 230 km 2 h 15 min , Coimbra – 195 km 2 h 5 min.
Highlights :
- Almeida is one of the twelve historic villages, the Aldeias Históricas.Almeida, which has about 1 300 inhabitants, is known for its fortress, which, with its twelve-pointed star shape, constitutes one of the most spectacular European examples of 17th century defensive systems . Praça-Forte de Almeida is a candidate for the UNESCO World Heritage category.
- Almeida stronghold- The Castle-Fortress of Almeida : Shaped like a 12-pointed star (double hexagon) with six bastions and the same number of ravelins. It is surrounded by a 12-meter-wide moat, along a 2.5-kilometer perimeter. During its historical moment, it was garrisoned by 5,000 men and possessed more than a hundred fire hydrants of various calibers. It had bomb-proof and casemate compartments, in which the garrison and civilians could be accommodated during the bombardments, as well as underground powder kegs and a blood hospital, also duly protected.The Castle-Fortress of Almeida It is classified as a National Monument.
- Monuments and museums : Casemates – Almeida Historical-Military Museum / Almeida Military Architecture Studies Center / Picadeiro D’el Rey.
- The old cavalry barracks / the square Dr. José Casemiro Matias / Casa Brasonada António Pereira Fontão Júnior, a wealthy local merchant at the time of construction in the 18th century /
- The Casa da Misericórdia : Temple of the late 17th century whose authorship is attributed to Jerónimo Velho de Azevedo, with an architectural image of the facade that replicates the composition of the Santo Magistral Gate.
- Igreja Matriz de Almeida : this church belonged to the convent of the Franciscan third order female. It was designed by Jerome Old de Azevedo. It consists of nave, chancel, Tower, Chapel and sacristy.
Go next : Castelo Mendo, Castelo Bom and Almeida, there are three of the twelve historic villages in the district.
