R. Dom João V 62 5300-025 Bragança
From 9 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on Mondays and holidays.
During the month of August it remains open at lunchtime.
41.8026315, -6.7549344
273 381 273
The Castle of Bragança, one of the most representative of medieval architecture, was built in 1409 by order of John I of Portugal, on the foundations of the time of the first king of Portugal, Afonso I.
Composed of an imposing Keep and a double wall, the complex is very well preserved and the place-of-arms, known as the citadel or town, where the Church of Santa Maria and the Domus Municipalis are located, maintains the old medieval narrow streets and small whitewashed houses.
The walls are made up of 15 towers and 3 gates, including the Princess Tower, a former dependency of the Casa dos Alcaides that keeps the legend of a princess made prisoner, and the Porta da Vila (Village Door) that welcomes visitors to the castle.
In the Keep, 17 metres across and 33 metres high, some Gothic artistic elements are worth mentioning, namely the battlements, windows, and the coat of arms of the Royal House of Avis, founded by John I. It is worth climbing to the top floor, for the view over the city and the surrounding landscape.
Inside the Tower, with five floors, we find the Military Museum. It was founded in 1932 and consists of the private collection of António José Teixeira, in addition to pieces donated by soldiers who had participated in campaigns of military units based in Bragança (12th and 20th centuries).
