Castle of São Jorge

São Jorge Castle (Castelo de São Jorge)
Castle and walls of São Jorge
Castle (Castelo)
The visible profile of the Castle of São Jorge overlooking the historical centre of Lisbon
Official name: Castelo de São Jorge e restos das cercas de Lisboa
Named for: São Jorge
Country	Portugal
Region	Lisboa
Subregion	Greater Lisbon
District	Lisbon
Municipality	Lisbon
Location	Castelo
Architects	Custódio Vieira da Silva, Filippo Terzi, João Gillot, Manuel do Couto, Teodósio de Frias, the Younger
Style	Medieval
Materials	Stone, Granite, Reinforced concrete
Owner	Portuguese Republic
For public	Public
Easiest access	Rua do Chão da Feira; Largo Rodrigo de Freitas; Rua de Santa Cruz; Rua das Cozinhas
Management	Instituto Gestão do Patrimonio Arquitectónico e Arqueológico
Operator	Câmara Municipal de Lisboa; 31 May 1942, and reaffirmed on 8 June 1979
Status	National Monument
Listing	Decree 16 June 1910; DG136, 23 June 1910

São Jorge Castle (Portuguese: Castelo de São Jorge; Portuguese pronunciation: [kɐʃˈtɛlu dɨ sɐ̃w̃ ˈʒɔɾʒ(ɨ)]; Saint George Castle) is a Moorish castle occupying a commanding hilltop overlooking the historic centre of the Portuguese city of Lisbon and Tagus River. The strongly fortified citadel dates from medieval period of Portuguese history, and is one of the main tourist sites of Lisbon.

Although the first fortifications on this hilltop date from the 2nd century BC, archaeological excavations have identified a human presence in the Tagus valley as far back as the 6th century BC. The first fortification was, presumably, erected in 48 BC, when Lisbon was classified as a Roman municipality.

The hill was first used by indigenous Celtic tribes, then by Phoenicians, Greeks, and Carthaginians as a defensible outpost that was later expropriated by Roman, Suebic, Visigothic, and Moorish peoples. During the 10th century, the fortifications were rebuilt by Muslim Berber forces, these included the walls or Cerca Moura ("Moorish Encirclement").

In the context of the Christian Reconquista, the castle and the city of Lisbon were freed from Moorish rule in 1147 by Afonso Henriques and northern European knights in the Siege of Lisbon during the Second Crusade; this victory was the only notable success of that failed crusade. According to an oft-repeated legend, the knight Martim Moniz, noticing that one of the doors to the castle was open, prevented the Moors from closing it by throwing his own body into the breach, thus allowing Christian soldiers to enter at the cost of his own life. With the taking of the castle Christian forces were able to maintain the defense of Lisbon until the end of the 12th century.