portugal sesimbra, the moorish castle

http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/sandamichaela-1991754-sesimbra1/

Sesimbra is a municipality of Portugal, in the Setúbal District, lying at the foothills of the Serra da Arrábida, a mountain range between Setúbal and Sesimbra. Due to its particular position at the Setúbal Bay, near the mouth of the Sado River and its natural harbour, it’s an important fishing town, with a total area of 195.0 km2 (75 sq mi) and a total population of 37,567 inhabitants.Besides professional fishing and sport fishing (mainly of swordfish), the most significant revenues in Sesimbra come from tourism. The town is famous for its beaches, fish restaurants and nightlife.The original name of Celtic origin was Cempsibriga, meaning the Burg (Briga) of the Celtic tribe the Sesim.

Close by, on a mountaintop, 240 m (787.40 ft) above sea level, lies strategically (the ruins of) the Moorish castle. It was taken from the Moors, during the Portuguese Reconquista in the year 1165 by king Afonso Henriques with the help of Frank Crusaders. The battlements afford a beautiful panorama over Sesimbra, its harbour and the surrounding countryside

Originally a Moorish castle, it was captured by Afonso Henriques in 1165, recaptured by the Moors in 1190, and then retaken by Sancho I around 1200. Later the castle fell into disuse and disrepair, a process speeded by the 1755 earthquake. Substantially restored in the 18th century, the 1930s saw the government bring it to its present state

Statue of Sancho I

The sculpture of King Sancho I, tailored with regional stone and limestone from Sintra’s region, was placed at the roundabout in Corredoura, local government unit of Castelo. The piece by the artist Moisés Preto Paulo was made during the Second Stone Simposium of Sesimbra, held in May 2009, at the Castle, and it represents the settler’s side of Portugal’s second king, which granted Sesimbra its Charter on August 1201

Dom Sancho I by the artist Moisés Preto Paulo

Looking down on the town from 240 metres, the castle of Sesimbra provides spectacular panoramic views over the Arrábida hill range, Sesimbra and its harbour.

The castle model

The castle model

The castle model

Sesimbra´s Castle is the last Portuguese coastal castle built according to the medieval style with an irregular layout on top of the hill.On the eastern side lies the fortress, made up of the turrets and donjon, while the rest of the perimeter is defined by the village’s wall, featuring turreted gates and it ends with a tower on the western side.

Sesimbra church Nossa Senhora do Castelo

The castle is certainly the most photographed monument in the city. It's in a valley surrounded by mountains with a single opening to the south, which overlooks the sea and part of the city.

Exhibition room

 The renovation works executed between 1936 and 1941 halted  a process of decay that had lasted for the past four centuries.

The alcazaba was the centre of the Castle's political and military life

Religion was at the centre of the community life

Sound: Dulce Pontes - Cancão do mar

Text: InternetPictures: Sanda Foişoreanu Internet Gabriela Cristescu Copyrights of the photos belong to each photographer

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuwww.slideshare.net/michaelasanda