Sao Jorge

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Shortened history of the castle:

All sorts of civilizatons took once place on the Lisboa Hill: indigenous Celtic tribes, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths.

In the context of the Christian Reconquista, the castle and the city of Lisbon were won from the Moors by King Afonso Henriques. The Siege of Lisbon, which took place in 1147 has one of the famous portuguese legends : the knight, Martim Moniz, noticed that one of the doors to the castle was open, and he prevented the Moors from closing the door again by throwing his own body into the breach. He sacrificed his life but, in doing so, allowed Christian soldiers to enter.

At about this time, in the late 14th century, the castle was dedicated to Saint George by João I, who had married the English princess, Philippa of Lancaster. George, the warrior-saint, usually represented fighting a dragon, was popular in both countries.

As the royal palace, the castle was the setting for the reception of the navigator and hero, Vasco da Gama, when he returned after discovering a maritime route to India. King Manuel I received him there, in 1498, with all appropriate honors and celebrations.

The great 1755 Lisbon earthquake severely damaged the castle and contributed to its degradation. Inspired by the horrendous trauma of the earthquake, in 1788, the first geodesic observatory in Portugal was assembled at the top of one of the towers of the castle; it is called the Torre do Observatório.

The castle's period of neglect ended in the 1940s, when an extensive renovation was undertaken. The castle then became a big tourist attraction, known especially for the wonderful views of Lisbon that it offers.

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