whose forces, supported by an even stronger Crusader army, conquered the citadel of Silves in 1189 From archaeological excavations, it is assumed that the first fortress on this site consisted of a Lusitanian
castro. It is believed that Phoenicans, Greeks and Carthaginians traversed the site at one time, but that around 201 B.C. the Romans conquered Silves, transforming it into a citadel of their occupation, and commercial center that prospered for the next five centuries. In 1160, it was sacked by
Ferdinand I of León and Castile, but remained only for a short time in the hand of the Christians: it was quickly recaptured by the Moors. King
Sancho I of Portugal, supported by the powerful Crusader army, conquered the city, after a prolong
siege in 1189. But, a grande army, under orders from
Amir al-Mu'minin, in 1191, retook the city. The buildings of the Taifa kingdoms of the 11th century, which includes the
Palace of Balconies (where Al-Mutamid, lived as the poet Ibn Amarhe) progressed in the 11th century. The walls and towers that today represent the Castle of Silves came from these campaigns and public works by
Almoravides and
Almohads in the 12th and 13th centuries. The castles internal water catchment, and large rain fed underground cistern were used to provide freshwater for the surrounding dwellings (to as late as the 1920s). It would only be in the 13th century, during the reign of
Afonso III of Portugal, that forces under the command of D.
Paio Peres Correia, would definitively take the fortress.
Kingdom A
foral was issued in 1266 by King
Afonso III of Portugal. In order to expand the influence of Portuguese control, this foral was then supported by residential concessions from King
Denis (in 1305), that were later repeated in 1380, under King
Fernando I of Portugal. But, even naming Prince
Henry the Navigator alcalde for Silves (in 1457), and new concessions in 1487, under King
John II, little development occurred in the territory. On 1 November 1755, the castle was damaged by the
Lisbon earthquake, resulting in the
"...loss of its cathedral, tower, castle and walls...", as identified by Moreira de Mendonça (1758). Sometime during the 18th century, the dungeons were reconstructed, following the earthquake, and the ceilings repainted. During the
Liberal Wars the walls were repaired by the population, under
Remexido, who ignored the foundations of the original castle.
Republic In excavations beginning on 13 August 2005 and lasting into 2006, archaeologists Rosa and Mário Varela Gomes brought light onto the vestiges of the Muslim ruins, and in particular the 11th century governors palace, occupied by Al-Mutamid (from designs of polychromatic stucco). During the construction of the tea house, vestiges of another building, that was occupied by the Infante Henry, along the southwest of the military square, near the walls. In March 2005, a risk assessment map for the zone was completed for the principal entrance-way by the DGEMN. This resulted in a proposal by the IPPAR and
Direção Regional de Cultura de Faro to expand the zone of protection to include the walls and Almedina Gate, on 12 June 2008, and approved on 1 October 2008 by the IGESPAR. The DGEMN made its first intervention in the decade of 1940, demolishing the buildings annexed to the walls of the castle, and construction to lower the soil surfaces near the entrance to the castle and in the military square. At the same time, the rooftops of the guardhouse was re-tiled; the reconstruction of one of the towers in a degraded state of ruin; recuperation of various walls; consolidation of the keep tower and restoration of the parapets; reconstruction of the battlements; recuperation of the gates; re-plastering in the guardhouse; and the general cleaning of the cistern in the military square. Two decades later (1965) the walls were repaired following the removal a shed along its flanks, which involved of the repair of the axis. In 1967, work began on a municipal museum within the towers of the castle, resulting in the ornamentation of the towers in regional tile; retouches and reconstruction of spaces; and the installation of electricity. Starting in 1971, there were a series of demolitions and reconstructions in the castle, that included the 1977 consolidation of the walls; the 1979 re-layering of freestones; replacement of the gate; repairs and cleaning of the rooftops; consolidation of the walls in the north and east (in 1980); consolidation of two towers; and, beginning in 1982 (but also in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987) general recuperation of the site. This process was repeated in 1993, then starting in 2005 there were a series of public works to recover and recuperate the dungeons, including the installation of new rafters, water protection and improvement of drainage structures. Meanwhile, the
Centre for the Studies of Art and Archeology of Tomar () was involved with museum-ification of some of the spaces, using the spaces to establish the administrative and educational services, in addition to creating a botanical garden, related to the Portugueses Discoveries period, within the old Governor's garden. Further restoration, and excavation are ongoing, with more early buildings being discovered just outside the castle walls. The building in the photograph of the 'interpretive and visitor centre is now a cafe and the rear view is the entrance to the toilets. There is no invitation to enter and gain any information of the castle. ==Architecture==