Castle of Melgaço

The Melgaço Castle is located in Vila parish, Melgaço municipality, Viana do Castelo district, in Portugal. thumb As the main defense of the crossing of the Alto Minho river to Galicia, it constitutes the most northern sentry point in Portugal from the twelfth century.HistoryEarly HistoryThere is no information on early human occupation.Medieval EraThe construction of the castle dates back to 1170 by order of the first King of Portugal Afonso Henriques (1112–1185). He granted a Foral charter to the town at the same time, encouraging the development of the town.Afonso III (1248–1279) granted to the village in 1258 a second Foral Charter, promising privileges to the town.In 1361 the traffic between Portugal and Galicia was required to pass through Melgaço demonstrating its importance at the time.In the context of the 1383-1385 Portuguese succession crisis, the village and its castle followed the northern region of Portugal by expressing loyalty to Beatriz. It fell into Spanish hands but in early 1387, then governed by a Spanish mayor, the town suffered the harassment of the Portuguese troops under the command of John I (1385–1433), resisting their take over for nearly two months.In 1492, Melgaço was one of only five places along the Spanish-Portuguese border where the Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain could enter Portugal. Still under the reign of King Manuel I, village defenses and its castle layout are figured in the Duarte de Armas (Book of Fortresses, c. 1509), made up of three towers and two gates.