The Ourique Foundation is traditionally dated 711, the year of entry of Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula. However, several factors point to a rearmost existence.

Several settlements since prehistoric times, locations documented by various archaeological campaigns are known. From the Paleolithic, Chalcolithic, Iron Age and Bronze, the proto-historic presence, Roman, Celtic, Arab, a large number of people crossed these lands.
As for the origin of the place name of Ourique, it may be between Gold (by proximity to gold-bearing holdings) and Orik (the Arabic word for misfortune, following the Moorish defeat in the Battle of Ourique).

It should also Muslims will the building of Ourique Castle, legendary military structure and that still fills memories. This castle will, in all likelihood, alternating several times between the Crescent and the Cross, depending on the sort of weapons. The reconquest of the times would have an essentially defensive watchtower role, with the advance guard the Castro da Cola. One of the most important references to this fortification is made by the Arab chronicler Ahmed Benmohmed Arrazi that in the tenth century, refers to him as one of the strongest of Beja term.

The geographical and strategic importance of Ourique and its territory, or term, is recognized over the centuries, so it has always played in the South most importantly military and commercial paper, while connecting with the valley of the Sado and the Algarve hills.
Thus constituted as one of the central components in the conquest of territory from the Muslims, having witnessed the famous Battle of Ourique.

The Battle of Ourique, Ourique occurred in the fields to July 25, 1139, it was decisive for the independence of Portugal. Led by Afonso Henriques, the Christian troops conquered with great difficulty Muslims led by the governor of Santarém.

According to legend, before the melee Christ have appeared to Afonso Henriques, guaranteeing victory, relying on religious motivations that drove our Prince. Thus, the battle that would follow was, in a way, protected by divine power. The victory across the board against the “five Moorish kings”, allowed then and in the open field of battle, Afonso Henriques was acclaimed by his army as King of Portugal.

At the time of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian peninsula, the town and its castle were first conquered or by troops under the command of D. Afonso Henriques (1112-1185) or by the group under the command Geraldo Sem-Pavor in raid promoted in 1166 the territory beyond the river Guadiana.

He returned to the Muslim possession when the great offensive Almohad Abu Yusuf Ya’qub al-Mansur to the river Tagus (1191), when Christians remained in power only of Évora, in the Alentejo. Later, the forces of King Sancho II recover these lands, with Serpa won in 1232 and its areas delivered to Ferdinand, brother of the sovereign.

The castle stands in the center of the village, the two hundred and thirty meters above the sea level. At the highest level, by the wall on the north deploys to fortress, of square plan.

About the village has oval plant, reinforced by turrets and square and semicircular plant towers, topped by merlons prismatic. It was originally tore three monumental gates (Moura Gate, northeast, Beja Port, northwest and Seville port south, the latter now defunct) flanked by two beveled round towers, these merlons with pentagonal shot. The west cloth of the walls is topped by an aqueduct based on arcade go round, joining the Counts of Palace Ficalho, on the north side and a giant daughter based on a well, next to the southeast angle, built in the seventeenth century to supply the palace. In period opened the Door of Corredoura and the New Port.

The wall of the fortress is reinforced by the Keep, of square plan, adjoining south cloth, left to bottom; by a semicircular plant cubelo the same side and a rectangular plan tower in the southeast corner, next to which is still visible part of the Barbican involved. There is installed the Archaeological Museum of Serpa, exposing the evidence recovered in County region, the Paleolithic, Neolithic, of the Metal Age and Roman times.

In the square border to the Church of Santa Maria (old Muslim Mosque) stands the so-called Clock Tower, of square plan, where stands the bell, with tapered shot of pinnacles surrounded by merlons bevelled. Trace the fence of the village, was transformed into watch in 1440, becoming the third watch tower oldest in the country.

In a more recent phase, the City Council has made restoration work, which included the laying of hands on the clock. The hours are still marked by family chimes of the bell.

The tower was also provided with a lighting system. In your figure the night wins a gold and impressive brightness, especially in the middle of the village houses.

The clock tower is a rectangular building, with a spiral staircase that leads to a guard with grilhagem bricks. Has an ornate on each side and in the middle guard shack that houses the bell Navigator. The Clock Tower conserves the browser memory Vasco da Gama, once the bell, with the arms of Gama family, was offered to the town by the Count of Vidigueira.

Member of the Guadiana line in the thirteenth century, the castle, which remain in the ruins of the keep, have been adapted to house the Counts of Vidigueira.

At the time of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian peninsula, the town was conquered by the Portuguese forces, under the reign of Sancho II (1223-1248) in 1235. However, the first documented reference on Vidigueira date 1255, at which time , and founded the Monastery of St. Cucufate, their parish was established and set its limits, making up this scripture mention of this village.

This economic and strategic importance remained at the time of the Swabians, the Visigoths and under Muslim occupation.

At the time of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, was first conquered by the forces of King Afonso Henriques (1112-1185) in 1159, to be abandoned four months later. It was retaken by surprise by an expedition of popular Ides of Santarém, in early December 1162.

In the years that followed, after the defeat of that sovereign in the siege of Badajoz (1169), the rider Gonçalo Mendes da Maia – the Lidador since nonagenarian, lost his life in the defense of the walls of Beja. Given the lack of information about the period after that date, the researchers believe that the major offensive Almohad Abu Yusuf Ya’qub al-Mansur (1191) to the Tagus river, having regained Silves, also understood the reconquest of Beja, remaining in the hands of Christians only Évora, in the Alentejo. It is assumed also that the village would have returned to Portuguese hands only between 1232 and 1234, a time when the surrounding Moura, Serpa and Aljustrel documented to be returned.

Occupied successively by Swabians and Visigoths, from the eighth century met the Muslim domination, responsible for the remodeling of the defenses of this prosperous town. References to this new defensive structure arise at the end of the ninth century, given that between 930 and 1031, the castle was consolidated, becoming one of the strongest in the region. With the fall of the Caliphate of Córdoba (1031), Mértola became an independent kingdom – the Taifa of Mértola – quickly taken up by Al-Mutamid, the Taifa of Seville. A century later, between 1144 and 1151, became independent again (2nd Taifa of Mértola), is likely to have been built new defensive works during the rule of Ibn Qasi (1144-1151). Admittedly, in 1171, already under the rule of the Caliphate Almohad, the fort was enlarged with a tower and, in 1184, with integral turret entrance gate.

At the time of the Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula Christian, the forces of King Sancho II (1223-1248) invest for the South, following both banks of the river Guadiana been gaining Mértola (on the right bank) and Ayamonte (left) (1238). The first was donated to the Order of Santiago, in the person of their Grand Master, D. Paio Peres Correia (1239). The Order, which already was in charge of the defense of other places south of the country (Alcacer do Sal, Aljustrel, and others), made Mértola its headquarters (chapter) in Portugal, later transferred to the Palmela Castle. In 1254 the town received a charter, raised to town status. Dates from this period the construction of the Homage Tower, whose works were completed in 1292 under the direction of John Fernandes master. This tower and the citadel, were the residence of the Captain-General to the sixteenth century, a time when the structure was gradually abandoned.

Despite the importance of his position, strategic in southern Portugal, the village of Mértola and its castle lost importance from the Portuguese Discoveries. The decline that met from then reflected in the conservation of its walls, so that, in 1758, accused ruin and lacked even the garrison.

Sentinel streak with Spain, stands isolated in a steep rise dominating the surrounding plains and the creek Múrtega and Ardila, on the left bank of the Guadiana river.

Witnessed, along with the castles of Alandroal, Moura, Serpa and Veiros, the action of the Order of Avis in the region.

At the time of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian peninsula, especially since 1167, the region was conquered by the forces commanded by Gonçalo Mendes da Maia, “the Lidador”. Later, in 1253, the town received a charter of King Alfonso X of Castile, along with other localities of the left bank of the river Guadiana, including Moura and Serpa, integrating the dowry of his daughter, Brites, when her marriage to D. Afonso III that year.

The town definitely pass to the Portuguese Crown under the Treaty of the Guarda (1295), which established peace between Dinis (1279-1325) and Ferdinand IV of Castile. In December of that year, the sovereign passed new a charter to the village, whose domains were later donated in 1303, the Order of Avis, provided to rebuild the castle, works would be completed in 1308, as two epigraphic inscriptions:

The first, dated April 1, 1308, currently uncertain whereabouts, notes the work of the Master of Avis, D. Lourenço Afonso, the castle foundation and the settlement of the village;
The second, with many doubts if it has been written that year, reports the action of Commander Afonso Aires in the building of the keep.
At the time of King Manuel I (1495-1521), is figured by Duarte de Armas (Book of Fortresses, c. 1509), which records the existence of weep holes surrounding the castle, ie, a characteristic architectural structure military fifteenth century. The village would receive the sovereign, in the same period, its Foral New (1513).