The Templar Castle of Penas Róias

The Castle of Penas Roias (Portuguese: Castelo de Penas Roias) is a Portuguese medieval castle in the civil parish of Penas Roias, municipality of Mogadouro, in the Portuguese of district of Bragança.

One of the most interesting locations of the set of “raia” forts; the castle is on a rocky outcrop which was part of the slope.

In the 12th century it had a fundamental role in the defence of the Nordeste Transmontano, during the time of the constitution of the Portuguese nationality against the Muslims and their Leonese neighbour. In 1145 the domains of Penas Róias were donated to the Knights Templars, having suffered significant changes.

After the extinction of the Order of the Temple, King Denis of Portugal transferred the domains to the Order of Christ, which carried out works to recover and strengthen the defences.

This was a Romanesque style castle, with walls reinforced by four cubes (two faceted and two cylindrical), a quadrangular plan keep, erected in the centre of a weapons square and a larger walled enclosure with a housing area, handicraft activities and cattle pens.

Today there is still the keep and vestiges of the old walls and cubes.

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