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 Mourão]]; see its history for attribution.
You may also add the template {{Translated|pt|Castelo de Mourão}} to the talk page.
The Castle of Mourão (Portuguese: Castelo de Mourão) is a well-preserved castle in the town of Mourão, Portugal. It is classified by IGESPAR (the Portuguese government) as a Site of Public Interest.
History
Early history
Little is known about the early occupation of this site. During midst of the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the area surrounding the castle was the scene of a few clashes between Muslims and Christians.
Medieval history
Before the Portuguese conquest of the region, the fields were donated to the Knights Hospitaller. They were first brought under the control of Gonçalo Egas, having been granted a Foral charter to the town aiming to encourage their settlement and defense in 1226. A will date from this period under the reign of Sancho II (1223–1248), directing the reconstruction of the fortification.
Under the reign of King Dinis (1279–1325), the village received a new charter. in 1296, confirmed in 1298. During this period, the original castle was renovated, increasing to three towers.
In 1580, the castle was brought under Habsburg control when Portugal joined Spain in the Iberian Union.
The castle is considered a Public Interest Property by decree on July 18, 1957. Since it is in well conserved condition, the castle is a tourist attraction for the community.
Characteristics
The castle was constructed during the Middle Ages, built with a combination of shale stone, marble and granite. It is reinforced by six quadrangular towers. The doors and towers are influenced by Gothic architecture.
The renovations of the seventeenth century involved fixing the bastions at the corner of the walls and ravelins in front of the curtains.