Castle of Marvão

The Castle of Marvão is a well-preserved medieval castle located in the civil parish of Santa Maria de Marvão, in the municipality of Marvão, Portuguese district of Portalegre.HistoryLittle is when the first peoples settled in the area of Marvão, but Roman forces began to appear in the region, following the strategic road linking it with Cáceres Santarém and bridge over the River Sever.During the early Middle Ages, the Swabians, Visigoths and the eventually the Umayyad Arabs began to settle in the area. The construction of the castle at Marvão was attributed to 8th century Islamic knight, Ibn Marwan, who began to dwell in the castle between 876 and 877. By the beginning of the 10th century, the settlement was designated Amaia de Ibn Maruán or, alternately, the fortress of Amaia. Christian forces loyal to King D. Afonso I (1112–1185) conquered the region and town from Moorish forces sometime between 1160 and 1166.With the demarcation of Castelo Branco in 1214, Marvão was already included within Portuguese territory. The first foral (charter) was issued in 1226 by King D. Sancho II (1223–1248), done to ensure the development of the unpopulated outpost, against repeated attacks from the Kingdom of Castile. The castle briefly fell into Almohad hands in the 1190s.