Although the region was inhabited prior to the
Reconquista, it was sacked in 1235 by forces loyal to King D.
Sancho II. The name
Messejana has its origin in the Arab
masjana, that refers to prison or jail, a word derived from the verb
sajana (to mean to incarcerate in prison). Proof of Arab occupation comes from excavations at the castle (1992) of silver coins, dating to the Ibn Wazir period. During the reign of King D.
Dinis (1279-1325) elevated the Messejana to the status of municipality donating the settlement to the knights of the
Order of Santiago, as a way to establish a frontier in the region. The castle was constructed in 1288, under the direction of Pero Soudo. A
foral (
charter) was issued by King D.
Manuel I (1495-1521) on 1 July 1512, but seemed inconsequential to national security. King D.
John II (1481-1495), who was sick at the time, stopped at the site between 8–9 October 1495, when he travelled to
Caldas de Monchique. During the reign of King D.
John III (1521-1557), the monarch donated the territory to D. João da Silva, 6th Master of
Vagos, also known as the
Grande Regedor (
Great Ruler). His son, D. Lourenço da Silva, succeeded him and erected, between 1566 and 1570, a Franciscan Convent in the town, and what would become known as the Church of the Misericórdia. D. Loureço, along with his five brothers, perished in the disastrous
Battle of Alcácer Quibir (1578) along with
D. Sebastião (1568-1578), whose mother had invited the King to Messejana in 1573. During the context of the Portuguese Civil War (1828-1834), the
Duke of Terceira was in Messejana with his military forces, where he met with his council of brigadiers on 17 July 1833. It was at this conference that the decision to take Lisbon, an operation that eventually succeeded, with the defeat of Miguelist/absolutist forces on 24 July 1833. The municipality was extinguished on 25 October 1835 by
Rodrigo da Fonseca and over time its importance continued to deteriorate, subsumed by Aljustrel in the region. For various years, the remains of the site was used as a quarry. ==Architecture==