Castle of Carrazeda de Ansiães The Castle of Carrazeda de Ansiães ( ) , normally shortened to " Castle of Ansiães " , is a medieval castle in the civil parish of Lavandeira , municipality of Carrazeda de Ansiães . The castle ruins , whose structure is easy to reconstitute , includes a few peculiarities , such as small Traitors ' Gate alongside the keep tower , and remnants of barbican s along the walls , in addition to examples of primitive cisterns in relative good state ( although obstructed ) . The Castle of Ansiães and that of Vila Flor complement each other : both implanted in a protected zone , on small plateaus between cordillera and three peaks . History . The first remnants recorded on this site date to the Chalcolithic period approximately 3000 BCE , and were the basis for the early Roman settlement that developed . This ended with the sack of Carrazeda de Ansiães by northern barbarians in 409 . This was followed by the conquest of the region by Muslim forces in 711 . The settlement escaped attacks by the Leonese forces during the 11th century , but , its position near Christian kingdoms meant that a fortification was required to protect their settlement . Yet , by 1057 , the first Christian foral ( " charter " ) was instituted by the Ferdinand I of León and Castile , insinuating the fall of the Moorish fortress ; the foral constituted one of the oldest geographic forals , defining the extent of Portuguese borders . During the High Middle Age s , the location already possessed a long cultural heritage , a factor that allowed it to become a fulcrum along the Douro River . Consequently , in subsequent centuries , the region experienced an exponential growth within the walled settlement . In 1160 , Afonso Henriques conferred the first Portuguese foral , later validated on 6 April 1198 , by his successor King Sancho I , and again in April 1219 , by King Afonso II . The village progressively imposed its importance in the territory it belonged , which included diverse resources , a prolifieration of small agglomerations and agricultural parcels . It was in this context that in 1277 , King Afonso III issued a charter to allow a fair in Ansiães . King Ferdinand gave the town of Carrazeda de Ansiães to João Rodrigo Porto Carrero , in 1372 . But , João Rodrigues took up arms for the Kingdom of León and Castile , which would only be settled in the Treaty of Badajoz in 1382 . Between 1384 and 1496 , a letter in the localities of Freixial , Murça and Abreiro obligated the transfer of customs dues to the construction of the new castle . But , in order to quicken the construction these funds were supported by the church funds . In 1443 , the regent Peter funnelled the taxes from Freixiel , Abreiro and Vilarinho da Castanheira to support the repair of the walls of the castle . On 11 June 1510 , King Manuel of Portugal issued a new foral to Carrazeda de Ansiães , yet transferred the castle to Rui Dias de Sampaio in 1516 . By 1527 , the village consisted of 35 inhabited buildings , yet the lack of potable water , relative distance to fertile terrains and principal roadways , resulted in the castle ' s progressive abandon . Between 1580 and 1591 the walls were repaired by the royal taxes , which was later complemented by local efforts to reinforce these walls in 1640 . The final part of the 15th century , and in particular the 16th century , marked the beginning of a demographic transformation , resulting in an accentuated urban loss to the periphery . In the following centuries this movement worsened , culminating in the transference of the municipal seat to Carrazeda , in 1734 . By the 19th century , the settlement within the castle walls was finally abandoned . On 1 June 1992 , the property was transferred to the IPPAR " Instituto Português do Património Arquitectónico " ( " Portuguese Institute for Architectural Patrimony " ) , under decree - law 106F / 92 , before these competencies were agglomerated by the Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico ( " Institute for the Management of Architectural and Archaeological Heritage " ) . In order to re - appropriate the historical importance of the site , in 1995 , the " Projecto Arqueológico do Castelo de Ansiães " ( " Archaeological Project for the Castle of Ansiães " ) , by the " Grupo de Estudos de História da Viticultura Duriense e do Vinho do Porto ( GEHVID ) " ( " Study Group for the Douro Viticulture and Porto Wine " ) , financed by the GEHVID and municipal council was initiated . The first excavations on site occurred between 1996 and 1998 , occurring in the interior and exterior perimeter walls , under the supervision of archaeologist Luís Pereira . The DGEMN " Direcção Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais " ( " General - Directorate for Buildings and National Monuments " ) was active in the recuperation of the walls in 1944 - 1945 and 1976 , with consolidation of the western towers occurring in 1977 . In 2004 , a reception centre was constructed . Architecture . The ruins are located in a rural , isolated position , between the mountainous " Serra da Vila " , encircled by zones of vegetation , and from an area of cultivatable lands . The space rests atop a small plateau , above which is a small cordillera and blow a sequence of smaller mounts . About from the castle ' s entrance lies the ruins of the Convent of São João , which dates from the Roman epoch , and within the exterior walls exists the Church of São Salvador . The remains of the fortification are granite and mortar , consisting of an irregular , oval - shaped wall with a thickness of and whose height is a maximum . A smaller redoubt in an elevated part of the site forms a quadrilateral . The interior courtyard has a Roman arch entrance to the south ( " São Salvador Gate " ) , consisting of two rows of staves , the inner more narrow and wide , guarded by two rectangular towers : the left is partially destroyed and the other the keep tower , to the north , square - shaped with two floors , flanked by a small " Traitors ' Gate " . In this perimetre are vestiges of a cistern ( actually obstructed ) with vaulted - ceiling of granite , abutting the cliff - side . Another vaulted cistern was desmantled by the IPPC " Instituto Português do Património Cultural " ( " Portuguese Institute for Cultural Patrimony " ) , but never reconstructed , much like the " Torre dos Lameiros " , which is actually destroyed . An interior courtyard , also ovular , encircled the " old town " , creating a second defensive perimeter , while in the east and south , the granite cliffs completed the defensive lines . Here there are visible remanins of homes and cubical - spaces , some with barbicans . This defensive zone is served by " Fonte Vedra Gate " to the south ( a Roman arch doorway ) , while in the east is the principal entrance with access to Lavandeira , referred to as the " Porta da Vila Gate " . To the west are the " São João " and the " São Francisco Gates " , with their own stone roads that converge at the town centre . In reality , there continue to be two perceptible and distinct spaces constituting the principal elements of the medieval form of Carrazeda de Ansiães . The first , situated on the higher elevations , corresponds to the primitive trebuchet s . This perimeter is defined and organized around the ovular walls , reinforced by five rectangular towers . It is still possible to recognize the group of structural vestiges , such as the keep and the respective annexes . It is also in this space that the cistern is located , which presumes the presences of older buildings of a military function . This is a defensive specialization , destined for the shelter and protection of its residents . The second space is defined by an urbanized area . A second line of walls , in length and three rectangular towers , encircling a perimeter that is proliferated by large damage , including medieval and modern structures . The urban organization , its plan , is centered on various roads that intercept each other , structuring the small barrios and residential areas of the community .