Original subtitles

Fortress...

Prisons...

Towers...

The castles have witnessed our history for centuries.

In Europe, over 100,000 are still standing

thousand years later.

Let's visit the most spectacular and most mysterious castles.

We will discover the secrets that are hidden behind their walls.

And we will relive their long-lasting legends.

This Castle-Palace is quite a symbol in Portugal.

30 kilometres from Lisbon, rising majestically above Sintra,

a city of historic worship and the country's tourist centre...

is the Pena Palace.

From its lofty position,

it dominates and controls an area

where we find defensive constructions,

curious palaces and their legends

and mysterious Masonic occultist constructions and Templar origins.

Is there any link between these constructions

that stand so close to each other?

Commissioned by King Ferdinand II of Portugal

as a holiday residence in 1839,

the Pena Palace is a huge mixture of styles and exoticism

that makes it special.

We know that Ferdinand II, of German descent,

was Grand Master of the order of the Rosicrucians,

a secret order born in Germany that had links with the Masons.

The order of the Rosicrucians

claims to seek through the occult, sciences and esotericism

the mysteries of the universe and of nature,

transmitted from the most ancient times,

including from Ancient Egypt.

To be an active member,

apart from having a pure bloodline

and demonstrating excellence in culture,

there are a number of initiation rites that must be performed.

And in that context, just a short distance from the Pena Palace,

we find the initiation well in the Quinta da Regaleira.

This mysterious estate,

full of passageways, mazes and esoteric symbols,

was created by Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro,

born to Portuguese parents and known as "the Millionaire".

He bought the land in 1892 and built this visual delight

which is a main attraction in Sintra,

but also a place of Masonic worship that conceals meanings

related to alchemy, the Templars and the Rosy Cross.

The most striking feature is this curious structure.

It has the name of "initiation well" because apparently

initiation rites for new members of the order were held here.

It is an inverted 27-metre-high tower.

It can be accessed from the top

or from several tunnels that emerge at the base.

At the base we can see an eight-point star

which originates in the Templar symbol.

The order's aim was for new members

to pass through these tunnels in the dark

to find the light projected from the mouth of the well.

This was a symbolic reference.

The initiate was searching for the unknown,

leaving behind his previous life,

increasing his knowledge as he climbed up the tower staircase.

There were two entrances in the park leading to the well.

Both are winding and labyrinthine,

and although they are now lit,

back then, they were in complete darkness.

Passing through the tunnels meant overcoming earthly obstacles.

The climb out of the well's 27-metre depth

was up a staircase dotted with Romanesque arches,

and there are nine clearly differentiated levels,

a figure associated with the nine levels of hell

in Dante Alighieri's "Divina Commedia".

The well can also be visited in reverse, from top to bottom,

but doing it like this meant risking a fall back into darkness.

In fact, one of the tunnels leads directly to an unfinished well,

a ruined replica that symbolises that the reverse route has no exit.

Were there tunnels connecting the Quinta da Regaleira

with the Pena Palace?

Ferdinand II and Carvalho Monteiro shared the Order of the Rosicrucians

just a few years apart.

Some say that the huge gardens conceal mazes and passageways

that were used in olden times.

The Quinta da Regaleira is not the only spot in the area

that has elements in common with Templar symbols and numerology.

Just a few hundred metres away stands the National Palace of Sintra,

another peculiar construction

with its recognisable image of two enormous chimneys

that have become an icon of the city.

Inside, the octagonal figure is present in much of its decoration.

The number eight and its geometric representation

is highly reminiscent of the Templars.

The National Palace was a royal residence from the Middle Ages,

once it had been reconquered.

King John I of Portugal enjoyed it for years,

and that period has passed down to us the curious "legend of the magpies".

Apparently, the queen caught the king kissing a lady-in-waiting.

In his surprise at being caught, he replied "foi por bem",

which means "for the good of all".

The phrase rapidly became an object of derision

among the ladies of the court.

In the face of this laughter and rumours,

the king ordered that a room in the palace

be decorated with 136 magpies painted on the ceiling,

in honour of all the ladies in the court

who had gleefully spread the gossip.

Nowadays it is known as the "Sala de las Urracas"

or "Magpie Room".

Years before giving rise to the legend of the "urracas"

as King of Portugal,

John I was engrossed in reconquering his lands from the Spanish armies.

The period was the middle of the 14th century.

The "Castle of the Moors" was a very difficult fortress to conquer

because of its position on a steep rocky outcrop

in the mountain range surrounding Sintra.

Very close by is the Pena Palace..

and, at the bottom of the valley, the National Palace.

It was defended by a mayor loyal to the Spanish crown.

A detachment attempted to attack it.

But before they arrived,

a tremendous storm broke above them

and the troops were forced to retreat to Lisbon.

King John I, in one of his phrases recorded for posterity,

justified it by saying

that "It was not God's will to conquer the castle at that moment."

The Castle of the Moors owes its name to the Arab presence

during the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.

They built a first fortification between the 8th and 9th centuries,

and for the rest of its history,

it was alternately controlled by Spanish and Portuguese.

This water tank or cistern

for the water emanating from the spring in the rock

dates from the Arab period.

The water was used to supply the troops,

which made any siege complicated.

The design and the strength of the cistern is admirable

if we bear in mind that we are talking about something

that was built more than a thousand years ago.

In the 12th century,

after great victories on the battlefield,

Afonso Henriques acceded to the throne of Portugal.

Just as John I would do later,

he sent a group of 20 soldiers to take Sintra Castle.

Apparently, the soldiers were terrified

because there were few of them

and they knew about the Arabs' fighting abilities.

And this gave rise to the legend of Melides.

When the soldiers were at their most wary,

the legend has it that the Virgin Mary appeared to them.

"Do not be afraid because you were 20 but you were a thousand.

"You were a thousand because you were 20."

After five days in hiding,

they defeated the ferocious Arab soldiers.

Nowadays, the vegetation planted subsequently

has gradually taken over

and it is difficult to make out the castle's winding structure.

But the climb up the 500 steps leading to the royal tower

continues to be spectacular,

with majestic views from the tower of the Pena Palace,

the city of Sintra, its National Palace

and the Quinta da Regaleira.

Four locations replete with mystery and legends.

Lisbon.

Year 1147.

A huge fortified citadel dominates the city.

Inside, a Moorish detachment resists the siege

of the army of Afonso I,

made up of crusaders from various origins

on their way to the Holy Land.

17 weeks trying to force out the invaders.

One morning, the captain of the Portuguese troops, Martim Moniz,

saw how a door in the wall half opened...

and threw himself against it without a second thought.

The legend has it that a fierce struggle ensued,

with Martim Moniz using his body to stop the door from closing.

His soldiers seized the opportunity and entered the fortress.

A few hours later, the Castle of Saint George was captured.

And everyone attributed it

to the sacrifice made by Captain Martim Moniz.

Martim Moniz is considered one of the heroes

of the reconquest of Portugal.

The castle gate now bears his name

and a square at the foot of the hill pays homage to the captain's bravery.

A martyr who is permanently revered in Lisbon.

During the following centuries,

the castle witnessed a number of skirmishes and sieges

laid by the Spanish troops

in the process of configuring the two countries...

after territories were regained from the Arabs.

It was always a difficult bastion to capture.

It comprised 6000 square metres of high ground,

with a configuration of eleven towers and twelve entrance gates.

It has its own springs,

which made long sieges difficult for the attackers.

It formed an enormous citadel,

with the curious feature of long staircases

allowing soldiers easy access to the lower areas of the castle wall.

From its lofty position

overlooking the navigable mouth of the River Tagus,

San Jorge afforded views of any danger

that might be lying in wait.

In the 20th century, to illustrate this,

an optical system of lenses and mirrors created by Da Vinci

was installed, offering a detailed 360 degree view of the city.

This perspective helps us to understand

the importance the site had in terms of defence and communication

for the different civilisations that settled here.

Soldiers...

monks...

crusaders...

the Knights Templar were responsible for actions

with a scope that transformed the future of the Middle Ages.

With Christian faith as their banner,

they left an impression on the Western world

that is still remembered today.

They also lived a life shrouded in an aura of occultism

that propelled them into the territory of legends.

Branded as heretics in their latter days,

the Castle of Tomar

saw the end of their influential travels.

This fortress became the religious order's

last bastion in Europe.

Stories were already being told in the period

of how the Templars found this location

using profane premonitory arts.

But what we know for sure is that, after the Reconquest,

the first King of Portugal donated the lands to the Order

as part of a defensive project.

The main reason for building the fortress

was to defend the Convent of Christ.

The importance of this monastery lies in its church...

whose chapel has an unusual circular design

in the form of an ambulatory,

called "Charola" or the "Oratory of the Templars".

This site was used to certify the faith of its devotees

and their adherence to the Order...

allowing horsemen to enter the church without dismounting.

This way, they could be made armed knights in this very spot.

Tomar benefited from the architectural advances

of the Templars,

turning the fortress into an example of their achievements

and a centre that met the high standards

imposed by the Order.

Characteristic elements of their fortifications,

such as double walls and a profusion of towers,

were used in its design.

Also worthy of note are its doors.

The most famous is the so-called Blood Door,

given this name after the battle against the Muslim troops.

Nine hundred men besieged the castle for six days.

But the door stood fast.

A genuine bloodbath ensued,

confirming that Tomar could not be conquered.

The Templars made the most of the knowledge they acquired

from fighting in the Holy Land

to give the fortification its recognisable curtain wall.

A fortress of these characteristics

could not fail to be associated with mystery.

A multitude of esoteric elements abounds in the castle,

promoting that mystical aura

that damaged the Order's reputation in its latter years

and was used by its enemies to accuse them of heresy.

There is a profusion of the number eight,

the mystical figure par excellence,

which appears on its columns, for example,

and also other symbols considered to be pagan.

For this reason, Tomar continues to make historians doubt

the authenticity of the accusations that depleted their reputation.

If we take both the myths and the truth into account,

Tomar stands as the last great Templar fortress in the West,

the guardian of the mysteries of the Order of the Temple.

Just over 20 kilometres from Tomar

stands another of the Templar enigmas in Portugal...

the arcane Castle of Almourol.

Why is Almourol considered Portugal's most enigmatic castle?

What lay behind the walls of its robust fortifications?

The participation of the Templars in the Reconquest of Portugal

was decisive.

Thanks to this, they were given the so-called "Tagus Line",

consisting of a series of fortifications

on the banks of this great river,

which served as a barrier to defend the capital of the period, Coimbra.

According to legends,

the Knights Templar may have used these constructions

for something more than defending the nation.

The design of these fortresses was entrusted to Gualdim Pais,

the mysterious Master of the Order,

whose time in charge is shrouded in both military exploits

and alchemistic rituals.

Gualdim's influence remains to this day,

as some claim to have noted his presence

among the Almourol battlements.

The castle is also the stage for a multitude of legends

surrounding Moorish converts.

From girls thrown into the void as victims of treason

to romances that ended in murder.

With its double-walled enclosure,

flanked by nine four-cornered towers,

the fortification was designed to be adapted

to the particular features of the space,

an island of stone in the middle of the River Tagus.

But why did the Templars embark on the complicated task

of building a fortress in a place like this?

What were they trying to protect behind these walls

that were so difficult to reach?

Many people defend the idea

that the famous treasure of the Templars

can be found within its walls.

How did the legend of the "treasure of the Templars"

come about?

It is said that after losing Jerusalem

the Templars fled from the Sultan Saladin

laden with relics from the ancient Temple of Solomon.

Gold and silver furniture, artefacts of power

and other fantastic objects

such as the mythical Table of Solomon,

form part of the legend of the "treasure of the Templars".

An island in the middle of the Tagus

would be a perfect place to hide their booty.

However, it is also said that a network of 12 kilometres of tunnels

connected the castle with the outside.

And these tunnels may have been where the treasure disappeared

after the Templars left.

Although no archaeological remains have been found

to certify its existence.

With or without treasure,

Almourol, with its unusual location and its iconic design,

will always be shrouded in the mists of the Templar myth.

"Amongst the rubble,

"in the harsh confines of the old fortress,

"battered by strong winds, covered in stone,

"tightly packed,

"are two stacked coffers, one of gold,

"the other of the plague".

These verses are the start of the poem

written by the Count of Monsaraz,

based on one of the most intriguing legends

surrounding the Castle of Montemor-o-Velho.

It may be that beneath its walls

is one of Portugal's most impressive hidden treasures.

And one of its curses.

25 kilometres from Coimbra,

the ruins of the Castle of Montemor-o-Velho

stand as vestiges of a life spent being passed from hand to hand.

Muslims and Christians were involved

in a continuous struggle for these lands,

and dominated the region by periods.

The fact that it stood on the banks of the River Mondego

made the fortress a highly prized possession,

standing on a line that was the natural separation

between the Christian north and the Muslim south.

The fortification's reputation also came from its large size.

Nearly 5000 men could be housed inside the complex.

It is no surprise that the terrain should give off

such a startling sensation,

given that it is replete with the ghosts of many centuries

wandering its crumbling walls.

Despite having suffered centuries of plundering and occupations,

the fort has areas that have lasted until today.

Protected inside the castle walls,

we can still enjoy the church of Santa Maria de Alcacova,

a building renovated in the 16th century.

It has more than one surprise in store,

like its stylised Manueline columns.

But what really catch the eye

are its altarpieces and Romanesque sculptures,

silent witnesses of the place's history.

A fortress with a tumultuous history

is the perfect setting for myths and fantasies to develop.

The most famous legend associated with these lands

is the so-called "legend of the two coffers".

The lord of the castle, a stern widower,

had just one daughter.

She was his greatest treasure.

But when the young woman secretly married a knight

against her father's wishes, he flew into a rage.

In an act of revenge,

the lord of the castle decided to give them a malicious gift.

He offered them two sealed coffers which they had to choose from.

One was full of gold,

the other was loaded with the plague.

Once opened, it would unleash a plague

that would annihilate the population mercilessly.

The young lovers preferred their love

and fled without choosing either of the coffers.

Could the coffers still be hidden somewhere in the castle?

Or could someone have opened them already?

Rising above the Sierra de San Mames mountain range

is a fortress that is so high that,

as the local residents are wont to claim,

you can see the backs of the birds flying below.

This is why the Castle of Marvao is also known as the "eagles' nest".

Jose Saramago, the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature,

went as far as to say,

"From Marvao, you can see the whole of the Earth".

Indeed, nobody can doubt

the panoramic view enjoyed by these lands.

Its unique location, together with the sheer rock that supports it

and the legend that protects it,

gives the Castle of Marvao...

the reputation of being Portugal's most unconquerable fortress.

The Castle of Marvao

is considered to be a set of superimposed fortresses.

Its three different lines of fortification

confirm that its architects took their task seriously.

All the elements of the castle

were designed to make it an impregnable site.

From its interminable ramparts...

to its strategic battlements.

From its blind doors...

to its embrasures for low fire,

Marvao was designed to be an obstacle course for its attackers.

The walls were adapted to the sheer nature of the terrain,

making the most of the passive defence

provided by the craggy crest of quartz rock

on which the fortress is built.

Marvao, it is claimed, was able to withstand a year-long siege.

The water tank that can still be seen in the castle

is one of the reasons supporting such a claim.

This enormous ten-metre-high cistern could supply the hamlet for months.

The inhabitants of Marvao maintain that the hamlet has lasted so long

because of the protection of its patron...

Nossa Senhora da Estrela, Our Lady of the Star.

It is said that she defends anyone who lives within its walls.

There is a story that, in wartime,

two Spanish soldiers crept up close to the fortress

in search of an entrance to attack it.

Suddenly, an unknown woman's voice shouted...

"Take arms!"

The lookouts then alerted the troops garrisoned in the castle.

After being given away by this woman,

the Spanish soldiers fled down the slope in terror.

Of course, it is said that the woman's voice

that alerted the soldiers

was the voice of Our Lady of the Star herself.

It is perhaps thanks to Nossa Senhora da Estrela

that the Castle of Marvao still stands today,

protecting its inhabitants.

One thing we can be sure of, however,

is that its stones will continue to witness the passage of time

from the privileged vantage point provided by the Sierra de San Mames.

Feats of war and political intrigues

are characteristic elements of all fortresses.

But castles are also notable as being the backdrop for famous romances.

What turns a fortress into the perfect stage

for stories of lovesickness?

Braganca has witnessed treachery in love

and even stories of people locked up for love.

The adultery committed by the nobleman Fernao Mendes...

which led his wife Dona Sancha to take refuge in the castle,

are well known.

Another scandalous case was that of Dona Leonor,

the wife of the fourth Duke of Braganca,

who was imprisoned in the castle

after being unjustly accused of adultery.

But the most famous romance associated with this place

is the one that revolves around the so-called "Princess's Tower".

The girl fell in love with a poor soldier.

But the penniless soldier was not worthy of her hand in marriage.

So he left to seek his fortune.

But time passed and the soldier did not return.

Even so, the princess rejected all the suitors

that came seeking her hand in marriage.

Years later, her uncle betrothed her to a wealthy knight.

But when she met him,

she confessed her intention to continue to wait for her soldier.

Her uncle flew into a rage

and came up with a plan to teach her a lesson.

Disguised as a ghost during a stormy night,

he crept into the princess's bedchamber.

The ghost's message was clear.

The girl must forget about her lover because he would never return.

Her duty was to marry the knight chosen by her uncle.

Miraculously, a flash of lightning lit up the room

and revealed that the spectre was in fact her own uncle.

The disconsolate princess withdrew into one of the towers,

some say for ever,

others, until her love returned.

This story ensured that the building would forever be known

as the "Princess's Tower".

This fortress, with its sturdy walls and robust design,

represents the virtues of the Portuguese people.

The Castle of Guimaraes

is the beginning of the Kingdom of Portugal.

How can it be

that this fortress carries such a reputation on its shoulders?

Ancient and regal,

the fortress was built to become a medieval bastion

against the continuous attacks of Moors and Norsemen.

A bird's eye view

reveals the surprising triangular shape of Guimaraes.

Its three-point floor plan reminds us of a shield,

an appearance that supposes a good metaphor

for the defensive nature of the fortress.

It also benefits from a design

unlike the usual Portuguese constructions of the period,

perhaps because of the Saxon influence

that can be seen in its forms.

With its solid granite walls,

Guimaraes resisted attacks for centuries

despite its relatively small size.

It measures just 50 metres long by 30 metres wide.

The castle was built with an imposing appearance,

made to look much bigger than it actually is.

With eight turrets around its keep,

this imposing fortress stands proud and important,

as it has done since it was built,

witness as it was to the birth of the Portuguese nation.

So let's have a look at the foundations

of modern-day Portugal.

The origins of Portugal

give rise to one of the most powerful legends of the time.

We are talking about a tale

that defines the honourable nature of the country

and its capacity for loyalty and commitment.

That tale is the legend of Egas Moniz.

Twelfth century.

The Spanish army was fighting

to maintain its hegemony in Guimaraes.

But the prince Afonso Henriques had other intentions,

the independence of the kingdom.

The region was not going to be able

to deal with the siege of Spanish troops.

However, Henriques, the Portuguese prince,

went back on Moniz's promise.

He refused to submit to the Spanish king and continued with his plans.

This meant that Moniz's honour was called into question.

To keep his honour intact,

Moniz decided to leave for the court of the Spanish king.

He did away with his noble attire,

dressed in rags and travelled to Toledo.

He presented himself to the king as a beggar.

His intention was clear,

to place his life and that of his family

at the sovereign's service,

as a guarantee of his commitment and a gesture of loyalty.

The monarch was overwhelmed by Moniz's actions.

Understanding that his promise had been kept,

he was moved

and gave him back his freedom.

The legend of Egas Moniz

thus became the representation of the honourability

of the Portuguese people.

And the Castle of Guimaraes benefits from this tale

to stand as one of the most unusual fortresses on the Iberian Peninsula.

A genuine national symbol,

based on honour...

and on legend.

Captions (c) SBS Australia 2021