.mw-parser-output .hidden-begin{box-sizing:border-box;width:100%;padding:5px;border:none;font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .hidden-title{font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .hidden-content{text-align:left}@media all and (max-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .hidden-begin{width:auto!important;clear:none!important;float:none!important))You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Portuguese. (March 2016) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the Portuguese article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Portuguese Wikipedia article at [[:pt:Castelo de Vila Flor]]; see its history for attribution. You may also add the template ((Translated|pt|Castelo de Vila Flor)) to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.
Dom Dinis Arch, part of the castle

The Castle of Vila Flor (Portuguese: Castelo de Vila Flor) is a medieval castle located in the civil parish of Vila Flor e Nabo, municipality of Vila Flor, Portuguese district of Bragança.[1]

History

Early history

The presence of several ancient forts in ruins suggest indicates that the region has been occupied by prehistoric humans.

Medieval era

Archeological and anecdotal evidence places the establishment of the village at the height of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the eleventh century.

It and the region became part of the Kingdom of Portugal under King Afonso I of Portugal upon Portugal's independence. On 24 May 1286, King Dinis (1279–1325) granted a Foral Charter to the village, the first time of its existence in the record books. In 1295, the king raised the village to the status of town.

The village was sympathetic to Jewish families who were expelled from other parts of Europe. An influx of immigration led to the development of agriculture, trade and manufacturing of leather and jewelry.

King Manuel (1495–1521) handed the town a new Foral Charter on 4 May 1512. However, the new charter was anti-Semitic and drove away a lot of Jews, resulting in a massive decline of the population.

Modern day

Over time, the castle saw its usefulness decline. The townspeople neglected to maintain the castle and the fortress slowly eroded due to the force of nature. The castle is mostly in ruins with a few parts left standing.[2]

It was later decreed a site of public interest by the Portuguese government on 20 October 1955.[3]

Characteristics

The castle is protected by a ring of wall that originally had five gates. Of these five ports, only one portcullis survives and is named as South Gate or Arch of D. Dinis. It is a pointed arch with dimensions of 3.5 meters wide by 4 meters high and is held by two semicircular plant towers.

References

  1. ^ "DGPC | Direção Geral do Património Cultural". www.patrimoniocultural.pt. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  2. ^ "Monumentos". www.monumentos.pt. Archived from the original on 2015-01-11. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  3. ^ "DGPC | Pesquisa Geral". www.patrimoniocultural.pt. Retrieved 2016-03-20.

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