Elvas Castle - Architecture

Architecture

The castle is found in an isolated urban context, on an elevated zone known as the Costa da Vila Fria, with many of the towers and walls extending over the landscape.

The plan of the castle is an irregular quadrilateral polygon, defined by four walls, flanked by towers in the south, west and north. The Porta da Vila (Town Gate), in the southwest, is surmounted by a capstone with the coat-of-arms of King John II of Portugal, and opened to the courtyard where there are several older buildings.

To the south is a cistern, alongside the northeast part of the fortification's wall, with spaces for the alcalde located in a two-storey structure.

Access to the battlements are made from a staircase on the northwestern wall, defended by three simple embrasures and through a doorway with broken bow (that also provides access to the Porta da Traição (Traitor's Gate). The northwestern battlements provide access to the keep tower, an rectangular structure, flanking the western angle. A Roman arched gate provides entry into the towers principal hall, with four arrowslits and a vaulted ceiling with rounded cross-beams, formed from the four corner posts. From two flights of stairs is the next floor, just before the rooftop, with tiled roof. The southwest battlements provide access to the tower alongside the town gate, with a staircase to the roof. The extreme part of the battlements provide access to the rooftop artillery point, a nine-sided position, which flanks the southern angle of the fortification. This emplacement provides two levels of gun fire, with 12 arrowslits, although the top group is covered by the posterior-constructed vaulted, semi-spherical ceiling. The southeastern battlements links to the northeast wall, interrupted by the masonry of the alcalde's residence. On the outside of this wall, a support structure, that presupposes a terrace for the residence is visible. To the extreme of the wall is circular construction, with semi-spherical copula, protecting the entrance to a circular staircase providing access to the exterior.

Flanked along the northern extent, an almost square tower with plain parapet and running bunk in masonry. Toward the keep tower, on the left is a suspended cistern and to the right a rectangular tower, with plain parapet. All the battlements in the castle are wide.

The two-storey alcalde's residence is entered from the main floor porch, across a roman archway. The posterior facade includes two second-floor windows, one with a truncated angular arch, while the other with a canopy-like arch. The porch includes a vaulted ceiling with spines focused on a five-pointed star. A roman arch entrance-way leads into ample hall, with vaulted ceiling consisting of six beams and seven arches anchored by pillars. A marble exterior staircase, consisting of two flights lead to a porch decorated with eight rectangular pillars. From here two doors, with square frames, provide access to halls, covered in wood ceiling. Along the southeast, is a hall with five doors, a window and a fireplace, which connects to the kitchen (with stove and fireplace). The hall situated on the northwest has two windows and three doors, one of which is common to the interior.