Castle of Caminha

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The Castle of Caminha is a medieval fortress in the village of Caminha, in the district of Viana do Castelo, Portugal. People have lived around the site since prehistoric times. When the Romans arrived in the Iberian Peninsula, a fortress stood here, with foundations from the 4th and 5th centuries. The defenses were strengthened during the Christian Reconquest. The castle and town gained importance during conflicts with Castile, and were reinforced under Kings Afonso III (reigned 1248–1279), Denis (1279–1325) and John I (1385–1433) because Caminha was an important border town. After the 1383–1385 crisis, Caminha supported King John I, who added a second line of walls to protect it. Later, under King Manuel I (1495–1521), the town and castle were drawn in Duarte de Armas’ Book of Fortresses around 1509.