{"id":14527,"date":"2026-04-04T02:53:57","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T01:53:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zenandart.pt\/?p=14527"},"modified":"2026-05-26T01:39:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T00:39:08","slug":"come-and-see-the-castle-of-santa-maria-da-feira","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zenandart.pt\/en\/blog\/venha-conhecer-o-castelo-de-santa-maria-da-feira\/","title":{"rendered":"Come and see the Castle of Santa Maria da Feira"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Erected on top of a hill over a thousand years ago, the\u00a0Santa Maria da Feira Castle<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is one of the best preserved medieval monuments in Portugal - and a must-see for anyone travelling through the north of the country. Its four towers in the shape of a spire, rare in Portuguese military architecture, give it a unique silhouette, almost straight out of a fairy tale.<\/p>

In this guide, we'll tell you about the history of the castle, what you can expect from the visit, timetables, tickets and how to combine the visit with a stay in the city.\u00a0Santa Maria da Feira<\/a>, just 30 minutes from Porto.<\/p>

A fortress with over a thousand years of history<\/h2>

The origins of Santa Maria da Feira Castle<\/a> date back to the 10th century, even before Portugal was founded. Built as a military fortification during the Christian Reconquest, the castle was the administrative and military headquarters of the so-called\u00a0Land of St Mary<\/em>, a vast region on the left bank of the River Douro.<\/p>

The monument played a decisive role in the victory of S\u00e3o Mamede in 1128, when its mayor, P\u00earo Gon\u00e7alves de Marnel, sided with King Afonso Henriques against Queen Teresa - the founding moment of Portuguese independence. Later, in the 15th century, King Afonso V converted the domain into the County of Feira, and the castle became the manorial residence of the Counts of Feira.<\/p>

Ranked\u00a0National Monument since 1910<\/strong>, The Castle of Santa Maria da Feira underwent an archaeological and restoration project between 1992 and 2006, which restored the splendour of the keep, chapel and walls that we can visit today.<\/p>

What makes Feira Castle unique<\/h2>

There are several medieval castles in Portugal, but the one in Santa Maria da Feira stands out for its rare combination of elements:<\/p>