(dramatic music) ♪ (narrator) Fortress, prisons... (door clanging) ♪ ...towers.

♪ The castles have witnessed our history for centuries.

In Europe, over 100,000 are still standing thousand years later.

♪ Let's visit the most spectacular and most mysterious castles.

♪ We will discover the secrets that are hidden behind their walls... (clanging) ...and we will relive their long-lasting legends.

♪ (soft, intensifying music) ♪ This castle palace is quite a symbol in Portugal.

Thirty kilometers from Lisbon, rising majestically above Sintra, a city of historic worship and the country's tourist center... ♪ ...is the Pena Palace.

(translator) It is a symbol for Portugal.

This palace is quite different and completely unique.

(narrator) From its lofty position, it dominates and controls an area where we find defensive constructions, curious palaces, and their legends, and mysterious masonic occultist constructions, and Templar origins.

Is there any link between these constructions that stand so close to each other?

(translator) Many people visit the Sintra Mountain Range in search of its legends.

Legends are, in fact, an element that enriches the territory, attracting people and awakening their curiosity.

(mysterious music) (narrator) Commissioned by King Ferdinand II of Portugal as a holiday residence in 1839, the Pena Palace is a huge mixture of styles and exoticism that makes it special.

We know that Ferdinand II, of German descent, was grand master of the Order of the Rosicrucians, a secret order born in Germany that had links with the Masons.

♪ (translator) The legend has it that he was such a well-educated king that he had a different view of things and applied everything he knew in reconstructing the palace.

(eerie music) (narrator) The Order of the Rosicrucians claims to seek-- through the occult, sciences, and esotericism-- the mysteries of the universe and of nature, transmitted from the most ancient times, including from ancient Egypt.

To be an active member, apart from having a pure bloodline and demonstrating excellence in culture, there are a number of initiation rites that must be performed.

♪ And in that context, just a short distance from the Pena Palace we find the initiation well in the Quinta da Regaleira.

♪ This mysterious estate, full of passageways, mazes, and esoteric symbols, was created by António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, born to Portuguese parents, and known as "the millionaire."

(translator) Monteiro, the millionaire, inherited a great fortune in Brazil from trade in coffee and precious stones.

He was a Portuguese patriot.

(wondrous music) (narrator) He bought the land in 1892 and built this visual delight, which is a main attraction in Sintra, but also a place of Masonic worship that conceals meanings related to alchemy, the Templars, and the Rosy Cross.

(speaking foreign language) (translator) A characteristic of all his properties was the star symbol.

He had stars with several points drawn on the road.

That way, you knew that you were next to a property belonging to Carvalho, the millionaire.

(eerie music) (narrator) The most striking feature is this curious structure.

It has the name of initiation well, because apparently, initiation rites for new members of the order were held here.

♪ (speaking foreign language) (translator) This initiation well has its name associated with initiation rites that the Masons imposed on new members.

And, thanks to this, the name has stuck.

And the legends relate the historical facts associated with the well.

♪ (narrator) It is an inverted 27-meter-high tower.

It can be accessed from the top, or from several tunnels that emerge at the base.

At the base, we can see an eight-point star, which originates in the Templar symbol.

♪ The orders' aim was for new members to pass through these tunnels in the dark to find the light projected from the mouth of the well.

This was a symbolic reference.

The initiate was searching for the unknown, leaving behind his previous life, increasing his knowledge as he climbed up the tower staircase.

♪ There were two entrances in the park leading to the well, both are winding and labyrinthine.

And although they are now lit, back then, they were in complete darkness.

Passing through the tunnels meant overcoming earthly obstacles.

The climb out of the well's 27-meter depth was up a staircase dotted with Romanesque arches, and there are nine clearly differentiated levels, a figure associated with the nine levels of hell in Dante Alighieri's Divina Commedia.

♪ The well can also be visited in reverse, from top to bottom.

But doing it like this meant risking a fall back into darkness.

♪ In fact, one of the tunnels leads directly to an unfinished well, a ruined replica that symbolizes that the reverse route has no exit.

♪ (translator) We will never know the true significance of why it was built.

It is obvious that it is like faith.

If we don't believe firmly that it is an initiation well, I can establish different stages and different paths from leaving my spirit until earthly existence.

♪ According to my knowledge, I can believe in my own legend and a whole new mystique.

(reflective music) ♪ (narrator) Were there tunnels connecting the Quinta da Regaleira with the Pena Palace?

Ferdinand II and Carvalho Monteiro shared the Order of the Rosicrucians just a few years apart.

Some say that the huge gardens conceal mazes and passageways that were used in olden times.

(translator) The very configuration of the landscape, with its numerous caves, very often with esoteric justifications, gives rise to legends.

(mysterious music) (narrator) The Quinta da Regaleira is not the only spot in the area that has elements in common with Templar symbols and numerology.

Just a few hundred meters away stands the National Palace of Sintra, another peculiar construction with its recognizable image of two enormous chimneys that have become an icon of the city.

Inside, the octagonal figure is present in much of its decoration.

The number eight, and its geometric representation, is highly reminiscent of the Templars.

♪ The National Palace was a royal residence from the Middle Ages, once it had been reconquered.

King John I of Portugal enjoyed it for years, and that period has passed down to us the curious legend of the magpies.

(bird calling) Apparently, the queen caught the king kissing a lady in waiting.

In his surprise at being caught, he replied, "Foi por bem," which means, "for the good of all."

♪ The phrase rapidly became an object of derision among the ladies of the court.

In the face of this laughter and rumors, the king ordered that a room in the palace be decorated with 136 magpies painted on the ceiling in honor of all the ladies in the court who had gleefully spread the gossip.

Nowadays, it is known as the sala de las urracas, or "magpie room."

(speaking foreign language) (translator) To confirm the honesty of the expression he used, he ordered that these magpies be painted on the ceiling, so the painting would be there to demonstrate that kissing the lady was for the good of all and not a sinful gesture.

♪ (bird calling) (reflective music) ♪ (narrator) Years before giving rise to the legend of the urracas, as King of Portugal, John I was engrossed in reconquering his lands from the Spanish armies.

The period was the middle of the 14th century.

(curious music) The Castle of the Moors was a very difficult fortress to conquer because of its position on a steep, rocky outcrop in the mountain range surrounding Sintra.

Very close by is the Pena Palace.

And, at the bottom of the valley, the National Palace.

(dramatic music) ♪ It was defended by emir loyal to the Spanish crown.

A detachment attempted to attack it, but before they arrived, a tremendous storm broke above them, and the troops were forced to retreat to Lisbon.

♪ King John I, in one of his phrases recorded for posterity, justified it by saying that it was not God's will to conquer the castle at that moment.

(mysterious music) ♪ (translator) When John and his army were approaching, a sudden storm broke.

He interpreted this as a sign from Heaven that his attempt would be unsuccessful and that he should not advance.

♪ (narrator) The Castle of the Moors owes its name to the Arab presence during the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.

(dramatic music) They built a first fortification between the eighth and ninth centuries.

And for the rest of its history, it was alternately controlled by Spanish and Portuguese.

♪ (translator) The Castle of the Moors changed hands because Lisbon also changed hands.

It was not because it was an overriding objective.

The objective was the major cities.

(calm music) ♪ (narrator) This water tank, or cistern, for the water emanating from the spring in the rock dates from the Arab period.

The water was used to supply the troops, which made any siege complicated.

♪ The design and the strength of the cistern is admirable, if we bear in mind that we are talking about something that was built more than 1,000 years ago.

♪ (translator) The presence of several Arab tribes on the peninsula and in Portugal was considerable, and they played an important role in colonization, leaving behind many fortifications, hence the name of Castle of the Moors.

♪ (narrator) In the 12th century, after great victories on the battlefield, Afonso Henriques acceded to the throne of Portugal.

Just as John I would do later, he sent a group of 20 soldiers to take Sintra Castle.

Apparently, the soldiers were terrified because there were few of them and they knew about the Arabs' fighting abilities, and this gave rise to the legend of Milides.

(foreboding music) When the soldiers were at their most weary, the legend has it that the Virgin Mary appeared to them.

♪ "Do not be afraid because you were 20, but you were 1,000.

You were 1,000 because you were 20."

♪ After five days in hiding, they defeated the ferocious Arab soldiers.

(reflective music) (translator) The soldiers interpreted this message as a sign that instilled bravery and courage in them.

They advanced, and they won.

In honor of this help from the Virgin, they ordered that the Chapel of Our Lady of Milides be built, and the chapel became a shrine to confirm the miracle of Our Lady who helped the Christians in their fight against the Arabs.

♪ (narrator) Nowadays, the vegetation planted subsequently has gradually taken over, and it is difficult to make out the castle's winding structure.

But the climb up the 500 steps leading to the royal tower continues to be spectacular, with majestic views from the tower of the Pena Palace, the city of Sintra, its National Palace, and the Quinta da Regaleira, four locations replete with mystery and legends.

♪ (tense music) ♪ Lisbon, year 1147.

A huge fortified citadel dominates the city.

♪ Inside, a Moorish detachment resists the siege of the army of Afonso I, made up of crusaders from various origins on their way to the Holy Land.

♪ Seventeen weeks trying to force out the invaders.

♪ (translator) In fact, because the Castle of Lisbon was in the largest city in this territory, it was always a clear objective for the plundering Christian kings from the north.

♪ (narrator) One morning, the captain of the Portuguese troops, Martim Moniz, saw how a door in the wall half-opened and threw himself against it without a second thought.

The legend has it that a fierce struggle ensued, with Martim Moniz using his body to stop the door from closing.

His soldiers seized the opportunity and entered the fortress.

A few hours later, the Castle of St. George was captured, and everyone attributed it to the sacrifice made by Captain Martim Moniz.

(translator) Martim Moniz is seen as a hero precisely because he used his body to hold the door open and allow the Christians to advance.

(narrator) Martim Moniz is considered one of the heroes of the reconquest of Portugal.

The castle gate now bears his name, and a square at the foot of the hill pays homage to the captain's bravery.

(triumphant music) A martyr who is permanently revered in Lisbon.

♪ (translator) Martim Moniz is a figure that all Portuguese learn about from primary school.

We should not forget that our education system today continues to be influenced by past events promoted during the dictatorship, and that is why he is seen as the great hero of the conquest of Lisbon.

(tense music) ♪ (narrator) During the following centuries, the castle witnessed a number of skirmishes and sieges laid by the Spanish troops in the process of configuring the two countries after territories were regained from the Arabs.

♪ It was always a difficult bastion to capture.

It comprised 6,000 square meters of high ground with a configuration of 11 towers and 12 entrance gates.

It has its own springs, which made long sieges difficult for the attackers.

(water flowing) ♪ It formed an enormous citadel with the curious feature of long staircases, allowing soldiers easy access to the lower areas of the castle wall.

(intriguing music) From its lofty position overlooking the navigable mouth of the River Tagus, San Jorge afforded views of any danger that might be lying in wait.

(solemn music) ♪ In the 20th century, to illustrate this, an optical system of lenses and mirrors created by da Vinci was installed, offering a detailed 360-degree view of the city.

♪ This perspective helps us to understand the importance the site had in terms of defense and the communication for the different civilizations that settled here.

♪ (suspenseful music) ♪ Soldiers, monks, crusaders, the Knights Templar were responsible for actions with a scope that transformed the future of the Middle Ages.

With Christian faith as their banner, they left an impression on the Western world that is still remembered today.

They also lived a life shrouded in an aura of occultism that propelled them into the territory of legends.

Branded as heretics in their latter days, the Castle of Tomar saw the end of their influential travels.

This fortress became the religious order's last bastion in Europe.

♪ (translator) The Castle of Tomar was the seat of the Templars in Portugal.

(soft music) (narrator) Stories were already being told in the period of how the Templars found this location using profane premonitory arts.

♪ But what we know for sure is that after the reconquest, the first king of Portugal donated the land to the order as part of a defensive project.

♪ The main reason for building the fortress was to defend the Convent of Christ.

The importance of this monastery lies in its church... (mysterious music) ♪ ...whose chapel has an unusual circular design in the form of an ambulatory called charola, or the oratory of the Templars.

(singing in foreign language) (somber music) (translator) The charola of Tomar was the private chapel of the Templars.

It is a unique element, perhaps the best-preserved Templar church in the world, because it is inspired directly by the shape of the church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Holy Land.

♪ (narrator) This site was used to certify the faith of its devotees and their adherence to the order... ♪ ...allowing horsemen to enter the church without dismounting.

This way, they could be made armed knights in this very spot.

♪ (translator) The charola of the convent of the Templars was the center of many initiations, and continues to be the center of many initiations.

(mechanical clicking) (narrator) Tomar benefited from the architectural advances of the Templars, turning the fortress into an example of their achievements and a center that met the high standards imposed by the order.

Characteristic elements of their fortifications, such as double walls and a profusion of towers, were used in its design.

(soft music) Also worthy of note are its doors.

The most famous is the so-called "blood door," given this name after the battle against the Muslim troops.

♪ Nine hundred men besieged the castle for six days, but the door stood fast.

♪ A genuine bloodbath ensued, confirming that Tomar could not be conquered.

(suspenseful music) The Templars made the most of the knowledge they acquired from fighting in the Holy Land to give the fortification its recognizable curtain wall.

♪ (translator) The walls were made much thicker at the bottom... ♪ ...primarily to make sapping operations difficult, eliminate any blind spots, and also repel projectiles fired at it, which bounded off and struck the advancing invaders.

(majestic music) ♪ (narrator) A fortress of these characteristics could not fail to be associated with mystery.

A multitude of esoteric elements abounds in the castle, promoting that mystical aura that damaged the order's reputation in its latter years, and was used by its enemies to accuse them of heresy.

♪ There is a profusion of the number eight, the mystical figure par excellence, which appears on its columns, for example, and also other symbols considered to be pagan.

For this reason, Tomar continues to make historians doubt the authenticity of the accusations that depleted their reputation.

(dramatic music) If we take both the myths and the truth into account, Tomar stands as the last great Templar fortress in the West, the guardian of the mysteries of the Order of the Temple.

♪ (serene music) ♪ Just over 20 kilometers from Tomar stands another of the Templar enigmas in Portugal... ♪ ...the arcane Castle of Almourol.

♪ Why is Almourol considered Portugal's most enigmatic castle?

♪ What lay behind the walls of its robust fortifications?

♪ (translator) There is no doubt it is a picturesque castle, standing on a rocky promontory in the middle of a river, covered with vegetation, and with a somewhat ruined appearance since the 19th century.

(solemn music) (narrator) The participation of the Templars in the reconquest of Portugal was decisive.

Thanks to this, they were given the so-called Tagus line, consisting of a series of fortifications on the banks of this great river, which served as a barrier to defend the capital of the period, Coimbra.

♪ (translator) The Templar defensive line was a line made up of several fortifications, which also defended each other.

A territory could not be conquered by leaving behind an untaken fortification because the invading army could be attacked from the rear.

So, there was a set of fortifications that acted as a line of defense, complementing the River Tagus itself, which was the natural defense.

(soft music) (narrator) According to legends, the Knights Templar may have used these constructions for something more than defending the nation.

♪ The design of these fortresses was entrusted to Gualdim Pais, the mysterious master of the order whose time in charge is shrouded in both military exploits and alchemistic rituals.

♪ (translator) Gualdim Pais was a Portuguese nobleman who was in the Holy Land during the Second Crusade.

♪ He returned as grand master with all the knowledge of military architecture acquired in the Orient.

(tense music) (narrator) Gualdim's influence remains to this day, as some claim to have noted his presence among the Almourol battlements.

♪ The castle is also the stage for a multitude of legends surrounding Moorish converts, from girls thrown into the void as victims of treason, to romances that ended in murder.

(mysterious music) ♪ With its double-walled enclosure flanked by nine four-cornered towers, the fortification was designed to be adapted to the particular features of the space, an island of stone in the middle of the River Tagus.

♪ But why did the Templars embark on the complicated task of building a fortress in a place like this?

♪ What were they trying to protect behind these walls that was so difficult to reach?

Many people defend the idea that the famous treasure of the Templars can be found within its walls.

♪ How did the legend of the treasure of the Templars come about?

♪ It is said that after losing Jerusalem, the Templars fled from the Sultan Saladin laden with relics from the ancient Temple of Solomon.

Gold and silver furniture, artifacts of power, and other fantastic objects, such as the mythical table of Solomon, formed part of the legend of the treasure of the Templars.

♪ (dramatic music) An island in the middle of the Tagus would be a perfect place to hide their booty.

However, it is also said that a network of 12 kilometers of tunnels connected the castle with the outside.

♪ And these tunnels may have been where the treasure disappeared after the Templars left, although no archeological remains have been found to certify its existence.

♪ (translator) Outside the castle, there are many, if not dozens of, kilometers, which are said to lead to the castle.

There are paths, but I don't know where they lead.

Consequently, it is the legend that creates the existence of secret passages.

Because it is an island, there has to be a tunnel to pass under the water.

♪ (narrator) With or without treasure, Almourol, with its unusual location and its iconic design, will always be shrouded in the mists of the Templar myth.

♪ (driving music) Serra de Ossa, year 1160.

♪ The bandit Geraldo Sem Pavor's men fear nothing, and it takes them little time to take control of the Muslim garrison that dominates the region.

The band triumphs where the troops of Afonso I, King of Portugal, had failed.

♪ Surprised by Sem Pavor's feat, the king concedes control of the territory to the mercenary to begin a process of repopulation.

♪ As the population grows, so comes the need for defense.

The Castle of Evoramonte was erected over centuries as a military bastion to meet this requirement.

(majestic music) ♪ The castle that we can admire today has little to do with the fortification conquered from the Muslims in the 12th century.

The current building is the result of a radical remodeling carried out in the 16th century, which adapted the castle to the new pyroballistics of the period, using modern artillery and cannons.

♪ (translator) The 1531 earthquake caused the keep to collapse.

It was thanks to this collapse that this castle palace was built.

(translator) And so, the Duke of Braganza, the lord who was in charge of Evoramonte, built a palace, a stately home inspired by the houses in Italy, and gave it the appearance it has today, with its rounded turrets.

(tense music) ♪ (narrator) The castle has a four-sided floor plan and was built of granite.

Its disconcerting appearance is due to the telescopic form of the cambers of its semi-circular towers.

Each of the towers occupies a different point of the compass so that its archers could cover all possible angles.

Hence, its military effectiveness.

♪ (translator) The Castle Palace of Evoramonte also had defensive features.

We can see this in the floor plan with four turrets, which are reminiscent of the bastions already adapted to pyroballistics.

In fact, the castle floor plan is very similar to the artillery castles that already existed, for example, in Renaissance Italy.

(dramatic music) ♪ (narrator) A notable feature of the castle facade are knot-shaped decorative elements, which give it a particular personality.

♪ These knots represent the House of Braganza, one of Portugal's most illustrious families and symbolize its loyalty to the crown.

(translator) This branch of the Braganza family are direct descendants of King John I of Portugal, whose bastard son married Dona Beatriz, the daughter of the constable of Portugal, Nuno Álvares Pereira.

It was the most powerful family in Portugal.

(door unlocking) (mysterious music) (narrator) As we enter the building, we discover four thick columns in a pronounced Manueline style.

♪ They alone support the nine gothic vaults that form the first floor ceilings.

♪ The elegance of these rooms contrasts with the austerity of the facade, confirming the subsequent palatial nature of the building.

♪ If Geraldo Sem Pavor were to look up from beyond the grave, he would be surprised at the transformation of a spot which saw so much blood spilt.

Geraldo Geraldes, better known as Geraldo Sem Pavor, or Geraldo the Fearless, led a band of mercenaries whose exploits have gone down in legend.

(dramatic music) (speaking foreign language) (translator) In fact, Geraldo Sem Pavor was a bandit who lived in the mountains with an army of guerillas who were also outlaws.

(translator) He is a Portuguese Robin Hood, a soldier of fortune.

There is no man more like Robin Hood than him.

(indistinct chanting) (narrator) The quantity of corpses that Sem Pavor's skirmishes left behind filled the cemeteries of a large part of the region.

Centuries later, the sum of these, and so many other remains, led to the territory's cemeteries becoming overpopulated.

To solve this problem, there was no other solution than to resort to exhumation.

(somber music) ♪ Thousands of remains were transported to the Church of St. Francis in the nearby town of Évora.

There, three Franciscan monks devoted themselves to the task of building and ossuary.

From that moment on, this church would be known around the world for its "chapel of bones."

(singing in foreign language) Any brave visitor who decides to venture into the chapel will find a warning message at the entrance.

♪ "We, the bones that rest here, are waiting for yours."

(singing in foreign language) Once the threshold is crossed, more than 5,000 pieces of bone await curious visitors.

Skulls, femurs, and other bones form columns and frescoes, creating a scene that sends shivers down the spine.

This macabre place has to be understood from the point of view of the mentality of the time.

(singing in foreign language) ♪ Ossuaries were designed to remind us of the certainty of eternal life after death.

(singing in foreign language) ♪ Furthermore, if an individual's remains were laid to rest here, it ensured that they were closer to God.

(eerie music) The Chapel of Bones is a startling reminder of the ephemeral nature of life, but it also forms part of the darkest legend of a region won with blood and fire, as devoted to God as it was proud of its own history.

(tense music) ♪ Amongst the rubble, in the harsh confines of the old fortress... ♪ ...battered by strong winds, covered in stone, tightly packed... ♪ ...are two stacked coffers, one of gold, the other of the plague.

♪ These verses are the start of the poem written by the Count of Monserrate, based on one of the most intriguing legends surrounding the castle of Montemor-O-Velho.

♪ It may be that beneath its walls is one of Portugal's most impressive hidden treasures... ♪ ...and one of its curses.

♪ (suspenseful music) ♪ Twenty-five kilometers from Coimbra, the ruins of the castle of Montemor-O-Velho stand as vestiges of a life spent being passed from hand to hand.

♪ Muslims and Christians were involved in a continuous struggle for these lands and dominated the region by periods.

♪ The fact that it stood on the banks of the River Mondego made the fortress a highly prized possession, standing on a line that was the natural separation between the Christian north and the Muslim south.

(translator) Being in the highly disputed area of Extremadura, it changed hands several times between Christians and Muslims.

(majestic music) (narrator) The fortification's reputation also came from its large size.

♪ Nearly 5,000 men could be housed inside the complex.

♪ It is no surprise that the terrain should give off such a startling sensation, given that it is replete with the ghosts of many centuries wandering its crumbling walls.

♪ Despite having suffered centuries of plundering and occupations, the fort has areas that have lasted until today.

(solemn music) Protected inside the castle walls, we can still enjoy the church of Santa Maria da Alcáçova, a building renovated in the 16th century.

It has more than one surprise in store, like its stylized Manueline columns.

♪ But what really catch the eye are its altarpieces and Romanesque sculptures, silent witnesses of the place's history.

(singing in foreign language) ♪ A fortress with a tumultuous history is the perfect setting for myths and fantasies to develop.

♪ The most famous legend associated with these lands is the so-called legend of the two coffers.

The lord of the castle, a stern widower, had just one daughter.

She was his greatest treasure.

But when the young woman secretly married a knight against her father's wishes, he flew into a rage.

(passionate music) In an act of revenge, the lord of the castle decided to give them a malicious gift.

He offered them two sealed coffers, which they had to choose from.

♪ One was full of gold, the other was loaded with the plague.

Once opened, it would unleash a plague that would annihilate the population mercilessly.

♪ The young lovers preferred their love and fled without choosing either of the coffers.

♪ (translator) The legend of the two coffers is a legend of the two principles, black and white.

In other words, one coffer contains good and one coffer contains evil.

The best option is to do nothing and leave the coffers unopened.

♪ (narrator) Could the coffers still be hidden somewhere in the castle?

Or could someone have opened them already?

♪ (foreboding music) ♪ Rising above the Serra de São Mamede Mountain range, is a fortress that is so high that as the local residents are wont to claim, you can see the backs of the birds flying below.

♪ This is why the Castle of Marvao is also known as "the eagle's nest."

José Saramago, the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, went as far as to say, "From Marvao, you can see the whole of the Earth."

♪ Indeed, nobody can doubt the panoramic view enjoyed by these lands.

♪ (translator) It is called "the eagle's nest" precisely because it is at the highest level it could be, and only eagles can reach this high, no matter how hard you try.

♪ (narrator) Its unique location, together with the sheer rock that supports it, and the legend that protects it, gives the Castle of Marvao the reputation of being Portugal's most unconquerable fortress.

(serene music) (translator) The fortification itself stands on an extremely high, rocky location.

Its various lines of defense have evolved considerably.

And the bastions in the last line of defense make this fortification almost impregnable.

♪ (dark music) (narrator) The Castle of Marvao is considered to be a set of superimposed fortresses.

(clicking) Its three different lines of fortification confirm that its architects took their task seriously.

♪ All the elements of the castle were designed to make it an impregnable site... ♪ ...from its interminable ramparts to its strategic battlements... ♪ ...from its blind doors... ♪ ...to its embrasures for low fire.

♪ Marvao was designed to be an obstacle course for its attackers.

The walls were adapted to the sheer nature of the terrain, making the most of the passive defense provided by the craggy crest of quartz rock on which the fortress is built.

♪ (intriguing music) (translator) It was not taken.

But if it was to be taken, it would have to be by prolonged sieges that starved the occupants.

It would be difficult to conquer it by direct attack.

♪ (narrator) Marvao, it is claimed, was able to withstand a year-long siege.

The water tank that can still be seen at the castle is one of the reasons supporting such a claim.

This enormous ten-meter high cistern could supply the hamlet for months.

♪ (translator) Water cisterns were a feature of the great majority of castles.

They were a central and fundamental element.

In case of siege, water was a permanent necessity.

(driving music) (narrator) The inhabitants of Marvao maintained that the hamlet has lasted so long because of the protection of its patron, Nossa Senhora da Estrela, Our Lady of the Star.

It is said that she defends anyone who lives within its walls.

There is a story that in wartime, two Spanish soldiers crept up close to the fortress in search of an entrance to attack it.

(foreboding music) ♪ Suddenly, an unknown woman's voice shouted... ♪ "Take arms!"

(energetic music) The lookouts then alerted the troops garrisoned in the castle.

After being given away by this woman, the Spanish soldiers fled down the slope in terror.

Of course, it is said that the woman's voice that alerted the soldiers was the voice of Our Lady of the Star herself.

♪ It is perhaps thanks to Nossa Senhora da Estrela that the Castle of Marvao still stands today, protecting its inhabitants.

One thing we can be sure of, however, is that its stones will continue to witness the passage of time from the privileged vantage point provided by the Serra de São Mamede.

(mysterious music) ♪ Feats of war and political intrigues are characteristic elements of all fortresses.

♪ But castles are also notable as being the backdrop for famous romances.

♪ What turns a fortress into the perfect stage for stories of lovesickness?

(singer vocalizing) Bragança has witnessed treachery and love and even stories of people locked up for love.

(solemn music) The adultery committed by the nobleman Fernão Mendes, which led his wife, Dona Sancha, to take refuge in the castle, are well-known.

(singer vocalizing) Another scandalous case was that of Dona Leonor, the wife of the fourth Duke of Bragança, who was imprisoned in the castle after being unjustly accused of adultery.

♪ But the most famous romance associated with this place is the one that revolves around the so-called princess's tower.

♪ (translator) The legend of Bragança Castle is essentially an attempt to justify the names given to the princess's tower, the traitor's door, and the sun door.

The explanation for these place names can be found in very curious legends locked in people's memories, like the one that tells of a princess who lived there with her uncle, a tyrannical nobleman, who would not let her fall in love.

(subdued music) (narrator) The girl fell in love with a poor soldier, but the penniless soldier was not worthy of her hand in marriage, so he left to seek his fortune.

(somber music) But time passed, and the soldier did not return.

Even so, the princess rejected all the suitors that came seeking her hand in marriage.

♪ Years later, her uncle betrothed her to a wealthy knight.

But when she met him, she confessed her intention to continue to wait for her soldier.

Her uncle flew into a rage and came up with a plan to teach her a lesson.

Disguised as a ghost during a stormy night, he crept into the princess's bed chamber.

The ghost's message was clear.

The girl must forget about her lover because he would never return.

Her duty was to marry the knight chosen by her uncle.

Miraculously, a flash of lightning lit up the room and revealed that the specter was, in fact, her own uncle.

(eerie music) The disconsolate princess withdrew into one of the towers, some say forever, others, until her love returned.

(somber music) ♪ This story ensured that the building would forever be known as the princess's tower.

♪ (bright music) ♪ This fortress, with its sturdy walls and robust design, represents the virtues of the Portuguese people.

The Castle of Guimarães is the beginning of the kingdom of Portugal.

♪ How can it be that this fortress carries such a reputation on its shoulders?

Ancient and regal, the fortress was built to become a Medieval bastion against the continuous attacks of Moors and Norsemen.

(tense music) ♪ A bird's-eye view reveals the surprising triangular shape of Guimarães.

Its three-point floor plan reminds us of a shield, an appearance that supposes a good metaphor for the defensive nature of the fortress.

It also benefits from a design unlike the usual Portuguese constructions of the period, perhaps because of the Saxon influence that can be seen in its forms.

♪ With its solid granite walls, Guimarães resisted attacks for centuries, despite its relatively small size.

It measures just 50 meters long by 30 meters wide.

The castle was built with an imposing appearance, made to look much bigger than it actually is.

♪ (translator) This castle symbolizes the Portuguese people, small but tough.

♪ (tense music) (narrator) With eight turrets around its keep, this imposing fortress stands proud and important, as it has done since it was built, witness as it was to the birth of the Portuguese nation.

♪ So let's have a look at the foundations of modern-day Portugal.

(translator) It is said that the first Portuguese afternoon occurred with the Battle of São Mamede, when King Afonso Henriques, together with the Castle of Guimarães, defeated his mother, Dona Teresa.

And with his victory, Portugal became independent, hence the name the first Portuguese afternoon.

And for the same reason, this castle is called "the cradle of the nation."

♪ (narrator) The origins of Portugal give rise to one of the most powerful legends of the time.

We are talking about a tale that defines the honorable nature of the country and its capacity for loyalty and commitment.

That tale is the legend of Egas Moniz.

♪ Twelfth century.

The Spanish army was fighting to maintain its hegemony in Guimarães, but the prince, Afonso Henriques, had other intentions: the independence of the kingdom.

The region was not going to be able to deal with the siege of Spanish troops.

♪ (translator) Having withstood so many days of siege, and when survival had become impossible, Egas Moniz donned a disguise and left the castle clandestinely to meet the Spanish king of Castile and ask him to call off the siege because the prince would accept servitude.

(narrator) However, Henriques, the Portuguese prince, went back on Moniz's promise.

He refused to submit to the Spanish king and continued with his plans.

This meant that Moniz's honor was called into question.

(translator) In fact, Afonso Henriques intended to become independent and continue on with his own country.

And when Egas Moniz saw that his word of honor, which was very important in that period, was not being met, he went off to present himself to the King of León.

(somber music) ♪ (narrator) To keep his honor intact, Moniz decided to leave for the court of the Spanish king.

♪ He did away with his noble attire, dressed in rags, and traveled to Toledo.

(horse whinnying) ♪ He presented himself to the king as a beggar.

His intention was clear: to place his life and that of his family at the sovereign's service as a guarantee of his commitment and a gesture of loyalty.

♪ The monarch was overwhelmed by Moniz's actions.

Understanding that his promise had been kept, he was moved and gave him back his freedom.

♪ The legend of Egas Moniz thus became the representation of the honorability of the Portuguese people.

(uplifting music) And the Castle of Guimarães benefits from this tale to stand as one of the most unusual fortresses on the Iberian Peninsula, a genuine national symbol based on honor and on legend.

♪ (dramatic music) ♪ (bright music)