Castelo de Marialva

Classified as a National Monument in 1978, the castle that dominates the Historic Village of Marialva from atop a cliff likely dates back to the 12th or early 13th century, when King Sancho I promoted the settlement of the region. In 1286, King Dinis established one of the many fairs held during his reign there, so the oval shape of the walls surrounding the village, characteristic of the Gothic city perimeter of fortified towns in the Late Middle Ages, likely dates from this period. Although quite ruined, they maintain their original layout, and the three original gates can still be distinguished. From the late 15th century onward, the castle lost importance as the new demands of war rendered it obsolete. In the mid-17th century, it was still in use during the Peninsular War, but a century later, it was irretrievably abandoned. In the 1940s, the keep was rebuilt, as well as numerous sections of the wall that were in danger of disappearing.