At 10.30 am on Saturday 12 May seventeen of the more fit members of the Society assembled on the steps of the Lisbon Sé (cathedral) in order to make the ascent to the Castle of St. George, which stands on a hill 97 metres (318 feet) above sea-level. Our guide was Eduardo Gomes who in recent months has become a good friend to the Society, having spoken to us at our Annual Lunch in January and who is currently giving a series of lectures on Portuguese history at the Casa Sommer in Cascais.
A gentle stroll led us to the site of the Porta Férrea, which was the main entrance to the Almedina, the walled Moorish city which existed between the 8th and 12th centuries. Nearby is the Church of St Anthony (below), patron saint of Lisbon. Here Eduardo briefed us on the history of the Almedina and the Castelo de São Jorge, with maps and prints.
We then ascended the picturesque Escadinhas de São Crispim (below), comprising about two hundred steps, the houses on the right as we climbed marking the location of the western wall of the Almedina which stretched downhill from the castle to the river. Occasional stops to recover our breath enabled us to enjoy everchanging views. Eventually we reached the Costa de Castelo and the Largo do Chão da Feira, which is the principal entrance to the fortified Alcácova, now the Castelo de São Jorge.
The castle was taken by the first King of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques (1139-1185) in March 1147 with the assistance of the Christian Crusaders on their way to Palestine to liberate the holy places held by the Moors. The crusaders came from northern Europe, principally England and Germany. The English crusaders took the castle from the western hillside, the way we had come, and the Germans from the east.
We could now enjoy the magnificent views of Lisbon, the “outra banda” and the river from the castle esplanade, which once formed part of the Alcaçova. The Alcaçova would have been the area with religious, political and administrative functions, and also a residential area for the more important citizens. With everyone suitably refreshed, we entered the castle itself where Eduardo explained the principles of medieval warfare and how the castle was taken by the crusaders. The castle today has three entrance doors, one of which was probably the entrance to a now disappeared keep, ten towers, two “praças de armas” – assembly points, a dry moat and a barbican – a wall to protect the more vulnerable parts of the castle.
Of particular interest was the “Porta do Moniz” (below), one of the access gates in the castle walls. It is associated with the legend of a Portuguese knight named Martim Moniz who during the attack on the castle in 1147 wedged himself between the great wooden doors and managed to hold them open for the Portuguese army to enter, he dying in the process. Over the door exists a bust of Martim Moniz , date unknown, with a plaque placed there in 1646, describing this feat.
Having concluded the tour of the castle, members were able to visit the archaeological exhibition and the well-presented temporary exhibition “A Revolta do Castelo” which related the events of 28 July 1928 when soldiers based in the castle rose against the then military dictatorship, which preceded the Estado Novo (1933 to 1974).
We are very grateful to Eduardo for leading this visit and we are planning a follow-up visit where Eduardo will lead us down from the castle along the eastern walls of the Almedina, which the German knights attacked.
Edward Godfrey
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