Castle of Terena

The Castle of Terena is a castle in the civil parish of Terena in the municipality of Alandroal in the Portuguese subregion of Alentejo Central. Since 1946, it has been listed as a National monument.HistoryThe origins of the castle are found in the period of the early Middle Ages, specifically in the 13th century, a period in which the high Guadiana was a frontier territory with Castile. The earliest registers indicated that a foral was passed by royal knight Gil Martins and his wife, D. Maria João in 1262. It is unclear whether, after this charter, the construction of the structure was begun. Owing to the interest of King Denis to consolidate his kingdom's frontiers, the castle was part of a course of fortresses that included Castle of Elvas, Castle of Juromenha and Castle of Alandroal. Another perspective suggests that the castle was actually constructed in the 15th century, during the reign of King John I of Portugal. This hypothesis is founded in the donation of the town of Terena to the Order of São Bento de Avis, which could have been the impetus for the site to be renovated from a previous garrison (although it highly dubious). By 1380, the castle and its barbican was already identified, indicating clearly that the fortress was under construction.