At the edge of time

Marvão Castle stands at a height of 843 metres above sea level, on one of the highest points in the Serra de São Mamede, known as the Serra do Sapoio. The crag on which it stands is a fairly rugged escarpment, forming a natural point of defence, to which access can only be gained from the east, the direction in which the village has spread inside the walls. From here it was possible to watch over the nearby frontier with Spain and observe the Spanish town of Valencia de Alcántara, from where enemy forces were frequently expected to come.

The first castle to be built in Marvão was by its founder, the 8th century Islamic knight, Ibn Marwan. He used the hilltop fort as a stronghold to survey all his conquered lands. Islamic rule held strong for nearly 5 centuries until Marvão was reconquered in the 1160s by King Afonso I.
Just over a hundred years later, during the reign of King Dom Dinis, the current Castelo de Marvão was built. This was at a time when the Moors were finally being pushed back and the border with Spain needed to be secured.

Marvão Castle itself is a fine example of a crusader-era medieval castle. Its austere thick granite walls enclose part of the village and the tall central keep. There are many innovative features to aid the defence of the castle such as; arrow-slits to reign arrows on any attackers, bent entrances to slow down the progress if the gates were breached and a series of "killing zones" such as the triple gate where death could be rained down on any invaders. (source: www.travel-in-portugal.com-attractions-marvao-castle.htm)

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