The Leiria castle is temporarily closed to the public following the damage caused by storm Kristin, which hit the region about a month ago, leaving the structure at risk and raising doubts about its stability. The monument, the city’s greatest symbol and one of the most visited cultural spaces in the municipality, is now facing a period of uncertainty while necessary interventions are assessed.
According to SIC Notícias, part of the wall of the Keep collapsed following the bad weather, with stones remaining in piles on the ground inside the enclosure. The publication states that the impact of the wind put the castle “at risk of collapse”, forcing preventive closure.
Built on a hill above the city, the castle was particularly exposed to the force of the storm. According to the same source, the Keep was one of the structures affected, with elements of the wall falling, highlighting the fragility caused by the meteorological phenomenon.
Inside the enclosure, the damage extended to the green area. Around 30 large trees, approximately 80 years old, were felled or severely damaged, requiring cleaning operations before assessing the overall structural impact.
Built in 1135 by D. Afonso Henriques, between Coimbra and Santarém, the castle occupies a rocky elevation south of the confluence of the Lis river with the Lena. According to information available on the Leiria City Council website, the monument holds traces of various phases of occupation, from a military fortress to a royal palace.
The city hall emphasizes that “still today, Leiria Castle remains a monumental symbol of our history”, maintaining marks from different periods of the Portuguese monarchy within the walls.
Over the centuries, several monarchs passed through Leiria. The Leiria City Council remembers that D. Dinis would have remained in the city with Queen Santa Isabel, being associated with both episodes that fed the local tradition, such as the so-called Miracle of the Roses. It was also to D. Dinis that relevant interventions in the castle were attributed, including the reconstruction and expansion of the Keep and the renovation of the Church of Santa Maria da Pena, explains the municipal website.
From royal palace to almost abandonment
During the reign of D. João I, the Paços Novos do Castelo were built and Santa Maria da Pena was adapted into a palatial chapel, adds the municipality, highlighting the functional evolution of the space over time. Centuries later, the 1755 earthquake and the French invasions caused further damage, leading the monument to a period of degradation and near abandonment, says the same source.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the League of Friends of the Castle and Swiss architect Ernesto Korrodi promoted restoration works that brought the monument closer to the local population. More recently, in 2021, renovation work was completed on a large part of the space.
According to Leiria City Council, these works made it possible to enhance the heritage and reinforce the tourist potential, including the transformation of one of the cisterns into a visitable and exhibition space, as well as the installation of two free mechanical accesses to make the castle more inclusive.
Future to be defined
The recent interventions were distinguished with the Urban Rehabilitation Award in the Public Spaces category of the SIL Real Estate Awards 2022 and with an honorable mention in the National Urban Rehabilitation Award 2022, according to municipal information.
Despite this path of appreciation, the present requires caution. According to , the monument, which registered more than 177,000 entries last year, remains closed and awaits technical evaluation to determine the next steps. For now, anyone who climbs the hill finds the doors closed and a historical symbol temporarily suspended in time.
Also read:
