Castelo Branco Castle

Castelo Branco, Portugal, Portugal

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Castelo Branco Castle is a medieval fortress in Castelo Branco, east-central Portugal, constructed around 1214 under King Afonso II, likely by the Knights Templar on prehistoric settlement remains.

Expanded in the late 13th century by King Dinis with a polygonal keep tower, additional gates like the Golden Gate and Traitors' Gate, and a second curtain wall forming seven entrances, it exemplified the Tagus defensive line alongside castles like Almourol and Monsanto.

In the 16th century, the Order of Christ added the castellated Paço dos Comendadores palace as depicted by Duarte d'Armas, blending Romanesque, Gothic, and later styles until decline from erosion and urban growth left ruins including wall fragments and the integrated tower base, now a national monument offering city views.