Castelo de Celorico da Beira

Celorico da Beira, Portugal, Portugal

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Castelo de Celorico da Beira is a medieval fortress crowning a granite hill in Celorico da Beira, Guarda district, northeastern Portugal, with origins possibly tracing to a prehistoric castro later Romanized under Augustus around 27 BCE-14 CE.

Conquered from the Moors by King Afonso Henriques after 1139 and granted a foral charter, it was entrusted to the Knights Templar for rebuilding, confirmed by Afonso II in 1217, with Sancho II expanding defenses amid civil strife like the 1246 siege by the Count of Boulogne.

 Modernized under Dinis (1279-1325), Fernando, and Manuel I who issued a new foral in 1512 adding features like the Poço d'El Rei cistern walkway, it served as allied headquarters against French invasions in 1810 during the Peninsular War.

Classified a National Monument in 1910, its irregular oval walls blend Romanesque-Gothic elements with restored towers and merlons, offering panoramic views as a preserved Reconquista landmark.