Historic Ourique

The castle was built by the Arabs in 711 and though there are no remains the well maintained gardens on the site are a beautiful place to sit and have a picnic lunch and admire the wonderful views of the surrounding countryside.

 

The Battle of Ourique took place in July 26th 1139, outside the town of Ourique. In this battle, the forces of Portuguese Prince Afonso Henriques clashed against the Almoravid Moors lead by Emir Ali ibn Yusuf.

Despite the fact that the Christian Portuguese forces were strongly outnumbered, the Muslim armies were weakened by internal leadership problems, and the victory for Afonso Henriques was such that he proclaimed himself King of Portugal as Afonso I with the overwhelming support of his troops, having vanquished and slain, so legend says, five Moorish kings.

Immediately after the battle, King Afonso I of Portugal called for the first assembly of the estates-general of Portugal at Lamego, where he was given the Crown from the Bishop of Braga, to confirm the independence from the Kingdom of Leon and Castile.