Obidos Castle

Obidos Castle is one of the gems among the medieval castles of Portugal. It is beautifully situated on a hill among fertile lands, and the height offers magnificent views of the surrounding vineyards, windmills and terracotta roofs of the local houses.

Name Obidos probably derives from the Latin word "oppidum", which translates as "Fortress" or "fortified city". The presence of early an Roman settlement in the region has been confirmed by archaeological excavations, which have found ample evidence such as a forum, bathroom, etc. The existence of a Roman town is clear near the hill where the village is Obidos.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the region was conquered by the Visigoths. In the years after 713, the Moorish fortress was erected on the hill. In 1210 King Alfonso II gave the castle and village Obidos to his wife Urraca.

Since then, over the following centuries the castle was inhabited by several queens, a result which is often referred to as the castle of the queen. Then King Dinis makes a romantic gift to his wife - Queen Isabel de Aragon. King Dinis contributes to the romantic look of the Obidos Castle, complementing its architecture with marble and limestone blades. By 16th century several queens walk around the beautiful halls of Obidos Castle.

In the late 14th century, Fernando I took the role of strengthening and fortifying the castle. The architectural style of a modern palace for the time was Manueline. A few more beautiful buildings in the city were built on this model, and today they offer luxurious rooms for rent.

An interesting story lies under the revival of the church Igreja de Santa Maria, where Prince Afonso V of Portugal married at the age of ten his cousin, who was eight. The temple was decorated with tiles dating from the 17th century and are examples of Renaissance motives underlying the paintings and tombstones of the artist Josefa d'Óbidos.