Castelo de Palmela

Spectacular views and a film set location at a focal point of Portuguese history.

The stories of Portuguese castles often resemble each other. What makes Palmela exciting is its connection to the Order of Santiago, which left a lasting mark on our area and temporarily on all of Portugal — the headquarters of the knights has been Palmela since at least 1255.

Outsourcing military services to private providers was long common back then, as the small Iberian kingdoms lacked the personnel and financial resources for constant warfare among themselves. The incorporation and founding of knightly orders can be seen as an attempt to manage the resulting chaos and, under the pressure of the Church, strategically focus on expelling the Muslims. The Order of Santiago, named after Saint James the Greater, who is believed to have fought against the Moors in Iberia, exemplifies this strategy.

Under Grand Master Paio Peres Correia, the Santiago knights conquered the Alentejo and Algarve. This was evidently great for Christendom but led to some confusion. Correia acted under Portuguese orders, yet the Order itself was Castilian. Such conflicts were frequent in nascent Portugal, which had to establish independence from its ”parent” nation. Specifically, this situation required the Pope, who in 1330 divided the Order into two branches.

 

 

Regardless, the fighting knights established themselves in Palmela, conquered what is now southern Portugal, and became the country’s largest landowners. After battling the ”Saracens,” they fought for independence from Castile. Key overseas expeditions, including Vasco da Gama’s first voyage, were also undertaken by the Santiago Order.

Around 1500, an illegitimate royal son lost the battle for the throne. Nonetheless, Jorge de Lencastre, as head of the Santiago and Avis Orders and Duke of Coimbra, remained a sort of counter-king around whom decision-makers rallied — central positions, including the Viceroy of India, were occupied by the Order's circle. Lencastre and his sons built the main church, town hall, and gallows in Sesimbra, as well as the palace in Azeitão and the Arrábida Monastery. Jorge died in 1550 — precisely — in Palmela Castle. As the Tavora clan, his successors often held opposition stances until the 18th century. Their end came when almost the entire family was executed for an alleged, never-proven conspiracy.

Palmela’s strategic importance waned in a consolidated Portugal, and knightly orders became obsolete. Although the fortress was occasionally upgraded for wars, it played little role thereafter. The Order’s tasks became more religious, leading to the construction of a new monastery around 1700. In 1834, the government abolished church properties, the military took over, and then it stood empty for 100 years.

In 1945, a guesthouse was established in the prayer rooms, and in 1969, the conversion into a hotel was decided. A decade later, the Pousada was completed. There are currently around 40 Pousadas, all upscale hotels in historic settings, now managed by the top hotelier Pestana. Rent a room if you plan to be noisy: the walls are 1.40 meters thick. Also not to be missed is a meal at the Court Jester. Or take in the park by the windmill. For those interested, there is a medieval market weekend in September.

 

Hermenegildo Augusto de Brito Capello was born in Palmela Castle in 1841, the son of a military officer. He ended up in Angola and became an African explorer, trekking with his friend from West Africa to Mozambique's east coast. This was undoubtedly an adventure, aimed at ”enabling natives to connect with trade.” The planned railway between the two colonies, however, never materialized.