Leiria has endured a turbulent past and has been conquered by the Romans and the Moors a number of times in its history. The first Roman conqueror of Leiria was Dom Afonso Henriques in 1135. He founded its castle to improve the defences and used it strategically against the Moors in order to further conquer Santarém followed by Sintra and Lisbon in 1147.
The conflict continued for a number of years in Leiria with regular attacks from the Moors. The town was conquered absolutely under Dom Sancho I who rebuilt the castle walls and castle itself to prevent further Moorish incursions and the town was bestowed a charter in 1195.
The town played a very important part in Portuguese history, since it was the location for the very first form of parliament in 1254, involving both representatives of the kingdom’s boroughs as well as successful and influential laymen. King Afonso III was the first to hold Cortes and allow regular people the opportunity to make suggestions and express ideas to the king.
In the early 14th century the castle was to be acknowledged again, this time as Dom Dinis restored it, also building a royal residence for himself and his wife Queen Saint Isabel. The strategically placed castle, perched on top of the hill, provides unspoiled views of the majestic surrounding countryside.
As well as building, King Dinis was responsible for the planting of the pine forest of Leiria. Originally this idea was to prevent the sand dunes from eroding, however these trees proved to be a vital component during the period of discoveries since they provided the timber for building the ships. These beautiful trees provide a serene setting for a little time away from the town.
Leiria's Castle - Leiria, photo by Câmara Municipal de Leiria
Due to the many incursions experienced by the town in its past, until the 15th century the majority of the population lived inside the city walls. With improved defenses and less threat from the Moors the town continued to grow and was soon occupied all the way down to the river Lis and in 1545 was elevated to the category of city. In this period of growth many religious buildings were commissioned including the Igreja de São Pedro, as well as the cathedral and the Igreja de Miscericórdia built in the 16th century.
A large influence on the physical development and appearance of Leiria in the 19th century was architect Ernesto Korrodi, the Leiria Castle being the most impressive, sitting above the town like a jewel on a crown. Leira continues to modernise and grow and is considered an expanding and established industrial centre.
More information: visitportugal.com
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