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Castle • Montemor-o-Novo, Évora

Montemor-o-Novo Castle preserves the original enclosure of the old town, high above this Alentejo city. The medieval fortification gained new momentum after the charter granted by King Sancho I in 1203, and major works were carried out under King Dinis, including the town wall. Later, in the time of King João I, Montemor-o-Novo became part of the lordship granted to Nuno Álvares Pereira. At the end of the 15th century, further works were directed by the master stonemason Afonso Mendes de Oliveira, and the castle hosted the Cortes of 1496. The complex, classified as a National Monument since 1951, preserves extensive walls, towers, cisterns, chapels and ruins that recall the former life within the walls. The Clock Tower watched over the Town Gate, the main entrance to an enclosure almost two kilometres in perimeter. From the 16th century onwards, the population gradually moved outside the walls, forming the present-day city.

Castle • Arraiolos, Évora

High on Monte de São Pedro, north of the town, Arraiolos Castle preserves the memory of the old walled settlement. Commissioned by King Dinis in the early 14th century, it was based on a contract signed in 1305 between the king, the mayor, the judges and the municipal council, to build the defensive enclosure. Construction began in 1306, and the complex includes the wall of the former settlement and the Paços dos Alcaides. Its elliptical form follows the gentle relief of the hill, creating a rare silhouette in the Alentejo landscape. Among the elements still recognisable are the Keep, the Gate of Santarém and, inside, the former Church of Salvador, from the 16th century. Classified as a National Monument since 1910, the castle also recalls Nuno Álvares Pereira, to whom King João I donated it in 1387.