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Saturday, April 16, 2011

Visit the Moorish Castle - San Pedro de Penaferrim (Sintra)

The Moorish Castle, located in the Parish of San Pedro de Penaferrim (Sintra), is classified as National Monument
The monument features organic plant (adapted to the terrain) with about 450 meters long and 12,000 square meters.
Erected on a rocky massif, isolated in the ridges of the Sintra hills, the top of its walls opens up a privileged view of all its rural surroundings which stretches to the Atlantic Ocean.
Its walls are composed of a double belt, exterior and interior. The East is still visible sections of the outer wall, where is the port rotation of access to the grounds. The top of the inner wall, with battlements, is covered with parapet, being reinforced by several towers.
The walls were performed using the technique of rope and tissão that can still be seen in his best haul maintained. Loved ashlars with about 30-40 cm high, are placed alternately in width and length. These are short intervals by narrow bands of stones embedded in mortar. This technical change was above 4.5 m height, where it starts to record a lower quality, the result of a second construction phase. In another section of wall visible area of ​​union between the different techniques used, inheritance of the different stages of intervention.
In addition to the embattled walls, towers and battlements, the set is completed by several ramps and stairs for access.
Another noteworthy element is the port in Arabic horseshoe arch.
The wall features five towers: four rectangular and one circular plan pyramid surmounted by battlements, with no more trace of the two floors and roofing system primitives.
The tower at the higher elevation of the land, also known as the Royal Tower is accessed via a staircase of 500 steps. In the Islamic period constituted themselves in the citadel. In the Christian period there appears to have lived Ribeiro, a Portuguese writer of the sixteenth century.

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