Castelo da Sertã

Portugal, Portugal

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Castelo da Sertã is a medieval fortress in the town of Sertã, Castelo Branco District, central Portugal, with origins likely dating to the Islamic period in the 10th-11th centuries despite legends attributing its founding to the Roman exile Sertório around 74 BCE.

During the Christian Reconquista, Count Henrique de Borgonha repopulated the area and rebuilt it as a key defensive site, later donating nearby lands to the Knights Templar in 1165 before transferring them to the Knights Hospitaller in 1174.

The town received its Foral charter in 1455 under King Afonso V, confirmed in 1513, and the castle fell into ruin by the 18th century until partial 20th-century restorations, including a rebuilt tower and chapel in 1936 and further work in 1999. Today, it stands as a picturesque historic monument open to visitors, featuring a rare five-cornered design amid the Serra da Estrela fortifications.