Castle of Pombal
| Castle of Pombal (Castelo de Pombal) | |
| castle (Castelo) | |
 The walls and keep of the Castle of Pombal, as seen from below the hill
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| Named for: Pombal | |
| Country |  Portugal |
|---|---|
| Region | Centro |
| Subregion | Pinhal Litoral |
| District | Leiria |
| Municipality | Pombal |
| Location | Pombal |
| - elevation | 115 m (377 ft) |
| - coordinates | 39°54′50.14″N 8°37′29.05″W / 39.9139278°N 8.6247361°WCoordinates: 39°54′50.14″N 8°37′29.05″W / 39.9139278°N 8.6247361°W |
| Length | 68.32 m (224 ft), Southwest-Northeast |
| Width | 124.77 m (409 ft), Northwest-Southeast |
| Architects | unknown |
| Style | Medieval |
| Materials | Stonework, Masonry, Concrete, Steel |
| Origin | c. 1128 |
| - Initiated | 1155 |
| - Completion | fl. 1353 |
| Owner | Portuguese Republic |
| For public | Public |
| Visitation | Closed (Mondays and on 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December) |
| Easiest access | Rua da Encosta do Castelo and Rua do Castelo |
| Management | Instituto Gestão do Patrimonio Arquitectónico e Arqueológico |
| Operator | Câmara Municipal de Pombal |
| Hours | Monday to Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Weekends: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Status |
Property of Public Interest Imóvel de Interesse Público |
| Listing | Decree 16 June 1910; DG136, 23 June 1910 |
The Castle of Pombal (Portuguese: Castelo de Pombal), is a medieval castle in the civil parish of Pombal, municipality of the same name in the district of Leiria in the Centre region of Portugal.
Around 1128, the Castle of Pombal, site of a former Roman castro and Arab fortress, was donated to the Knights Templar by Afonso Henriques in order to defend Coimbra, and which included a vast territory of land. The transfer of its control at this time, was seen as an important military position, owing to its successive generations of fortification and disputes between Christian and Muslim forces.
The construction of the Romanesque fortress began in the middle of the 12th century (in either 1155 or 1156), and continued practically until the century's end; the construction of various towers was made to serve, stabilize and reinforce the wall, and help to repopulate the town. It is likely that work started on the encirclement of the position and later to the construction of the keep (around 1171), and includes an alambor, a defensive feature to mitigate attacks close to the walls.
In 1171, the keep was constructed in the castle courtyard; during this period of the passive Reconquista, the keep served as the last defensive bastion, acting as the Lord lieutenants personal stronghold. At the conclusion of the project an inscription was carved over the door to the keep, something promoted by D. Gualdim Pais in the medieval period, while in 1353, the castle and village were donated to the Order of Christ. The plaque was later removed and deposited in the Convent of Christ in Tomar Municipality, on request of Prince Henry the Navigator (between 1420 and 1460).
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