Alandroal Castle

Alandroal Castle, locally known as Castelo do Alandroal, lies in the village of the same name in the Alentejo Central region in Portugal.

Alandroal Castle was built between 1294 and 1298, during the reign of Denis of Portugal, by the Military Order of Aviz. Already in the late 14th century, it started to lose its military importance and fell into decline, and by 1606 it was described as a ruin.

In the 18th century, the barbican of the castle was demolished to make way for a town hall and a jail. Also, the keep was topped by a clock tower. The castle was consolidated several times during the 20th century.

The castle has a somewhat oval plan, with the inner castle at the eastern end. The bailey was crossed by a single road, with a gate at either end. Originally there was a small neighborhood situated inside the bailey, which disappeared during the 18th century. The inner castle can only be entered through its own gate tower and is not accessible from the bailey. The large square keep is situated in the middle of a curtain wall separating the bailey from the inner castle.

Alandroal Castle can freely be visited. Sadly enough, access to the keep has been blocked. The bailey seems to be used for cultural activities from time to time.

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