Castelo de S. Jorge

Portugal- 4/13- 4/20/2016

Lisbon-Castelo de Sao Jorge-4/16/2016

Castelo de São Jorge (São Jorge Castle) is a Moorish castle located on a hilltop overlooking the historic centre of Lisbon and the Tagus River.

Built in the mis-11th century during the Moorish period and situated on the most inaccessible area at the top of the hill, taking advantage of the natural slopes to the north and west. The Moors built it to house their army an provide a safe haven where their elites could retreat in times of sieges. After King Afonso Henriques took the castle in 1147, Portugal's royalty lived here for several centuries. In the 16th century, the kings moved to their palace on Praça de Comércio and the castle became a military garrison. In the 20th century the castle became a national monument.

The imposing part of the castle is the exterior as the strategy was to focus on making the castle appear so formidable that its very existence was enough to discourage any attack.

The castle is encircled by a wall to form a citadel and is one of the main tourist sites of Lisbon.

The entrance of the castle.

It's has been raining on and off pretty much the whole morning but we are still out to discover the city.

Ticket office

Main terrace with a view

The first thing you see as you enter is the main terrace is an impressive panorama view of Lisbon and Castelo de S. Jorge stands out among Lisbon's viewpoints for its unique and majestic sight.

The Portuguese refer to this spot as their "ancient window." It overlooks the Alfama, the mountains of Monsanto and Sintra, Ponte do 25 de Abril, Praça do Comércio, and the tile roofs of the Portuguese capital.

View of the Tagus River and the Ponte do 25 de Abril (back ground)- you can also see it better on my Praça de Comércio page.

Gorgeous view of the city, too bad it was a bit cold and foggy.

In the middle of the square stands a bronze statue of Afonso Henriques, the Portuguese monarch who took the castle from the Moors.

This statue is a copy of the 19th-century original by the sculptor António Soares dos Reis, which is located near Guimarães Castle in central Portugal.