Serpa

Castle • Serpa, Beja

In the historic centre of Serpa, the castle and urban walls form one of the strongest defensive presences in the Baixo Alentejo. The first documented fortification on this site was Islamic, predating the Christian conquest of the town, and part of the alcazaba reused rammed-earth structures from that period. The major remodelling of the walls and the reconstruction of the castle were ordered by King Dinis from 1295, when Serpa was asserting itself as a frontier stronghold. The medieval enclosure surrounded the Church of Santa Maria and the present Clock Tower, within an oval-shaped wall strengthened by turrets and battlements. Among the original entrances, the Beja Gate and the Moura Gate stand out, still marked by towers. Along one stretch of the wall runs the aqueduct linked to the Palace of the Counts of Ficalho. Classified as a National Monument since 1954, the complex preserves the memory of a town shaped by defence, the frontier and time.