Pousada

of Estremoz and the vast Alentejo plain.

Pousada History

In 1259 king D. Afonso III recognized the geo-strategic location of Estremoz, granted it a charter in Santarem county and ordered the foundation of a castle.

From the beginning the castle has been associated with the tower, thought to be the work of three kings; D. Afonso IV, D. Pedro and D. Fernando. This is the origin of the traditional name; Tower of the Three Crowns - symbolized by the marble pinnacle in the east corner of the upper terrace.

A few years later king D. Dinis ordered the building of his residence there. Around 1281, he sent ambassadors to Aragon to ask for the hand of the Infanta D. Isabel, later Queen and Saint.

At the end of June 1336, striving for peace and harmony in the kingdom, Isabel came to Estremoz. Tired after two long journeys, from Compostela to Coimbra and from Coimbra to Estremoz and due to the weight of her years and the sultry hot weather, she fell seriously ill. Despite the care of her son and daughter-in-law, the knowledge of her physicians and the devotion of the Franciscan monks, the illness did not let up and she died on the 4th of July.

From her stays in Estremoz, several legends were made and miracles are still said to have happened giving way to a tradition of seven centuries. The most outstanding tale is that of the little birds that took her ball of thread in their beaks once when it fell down while she was embroidering. From her rooms in the castle, she also used to attend mass in the low square of the Monastery of Sao Francisco.

The palace and the castle themselves mirrored the anguish, uneasiness, and despair of her last five days of life in this world. Shortly after came the heart-breaking sorrow and pomp of her funeral, which took place a few days later, in accordance to her will.

A few years later her son left Estremoz for the glorious battle of Salado, which put an end to Arab power in the Peninsula, coming back to Estremoz afterwards. As a testimony, there is a Coat of Arms hanging over the portal of the Audience Palace.

The Saint Queen’s grandson, D. Pedro, the lover of the beautiful Inês, also chose this quiet palace in the time of sorrow. According to the tradition, he was offering his heart to this place, when he suddenly died.

D. Fernando and D. Leonor Teles chose the Palace of Estremoz as a safe hiding place from Count Andeiro, who was politically involved with Castile and England. Tradition says that it was in one of the chambers of the tower that they started their affair, while the king was having his siesta. Leonor Teles also visited Estremoz when her daughter D.Beatriz married D.Joao I, King of Castile.

Some time later, this historical place was tied to the crisis of 1383-85, which divided the people and the nobles. Mestre de Avis and D. Nuno Alvares Pereira met in Estremoz to try to solve the crisis.

Around 1430, D. Joao I assembled the Court. In the same period, D. Duarte met D. Gomes, Abbot of Florence, who brought him the bull for the crusade against the Arabs.

In December 1474, D. Afonso IV assembled the Court in Estremoz to consider the delicate matter of the will of King Henry IV of Castile, in which his niece princess D. Joana was involved.

On December 23rd 1490, D. Isabel met her father-in-law and her fiancé in Estremoz. Having been first carried out by proxy in Seville, the ceremony was repeated at Santa Maria do Castelo. This brought new life to the palace with nobles and clergymen. Tradition tells this was the first time men and women ever danced together in the court.

In 1487, D. Manuel came here once more, this time to meet Vasco da Gama and give him command of the fleet which would take him to India. The ladies of Estremoz embroidered the banner under which Vasco da Gama took a oath.

In 1659, D. Luísa de Gusmao ordered the creation of the oratory in the palace of Estremoz, at the place where the Queen Saint had died.

During the first two weeks of June 1663, the palace collected the spoils taken at the battle of Ameixial and in 1665 those of the battle of Montes Claros.

On August 17th 1698, there was an explosion in the weapon and ammunition storehouse and the fire destroyed the medieval building, as well as its valuable furniture. The castle was also ruined, except for the Tower.

Between 1738 and 1742, D. Joao had a beautiful weapon hall erected in the ruins, with a collection of forty thousand weapons. The architect was Antonio Carlos Reis.

The weapons were partially used in 1762 and 1801 and in 1808 by the French Army, led by Kellerman, which sacked the building and blew it up by setting powder barrels on fire. Nevertheless, they did not manage to destroy it and this was attributed to a miracle of Santa Isabel.

On July 27th 1833, over thirty members of the liberal party were murdered in the palace. From then until the 1930’s the building was used to lodge military units.

In the fifties, the Industrial and Commercial School of Estremoz was housed in the palace. In the sixties, after improvements and renovations the building became the Pousada Rainha Santa Isabel.