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Penela is a beautiful small town in district Coimbra in central Portugal. The settlement received the town status in 1137 and now has population of about 3,500. The main attraction of the town is a medieval castle Castelo de Penela. The castle rests upon a limy hill dominating the town. The castle was built in 11th century in the times of Reconquista to guard the way to Coimbra. (Click pictures for larger version)

View of Penela

Castelo de Penela

Penela Castle

In XIV a new ring of walls was built that included twelve towers, four of which are still preserved. The castle occupies an area of a half hectare and is comprised of buildings Romanesque and Gothic styles. In 18th century the castle was damaged by an earthquake which destroyed the Donjon tower. Subsequently the castle had lost its defensive value. By the beginning of 20th century the castle was in a state of decay, abandoned and ruined. This was brought to the public attention and in 1910 the castle received a status of National Monument. Later (starting from 1940) the castle underwent extensive restoration.  

The town of Penela is just 20 km south from Coimbra and can be easily accessed by car.

MoreViews of Penela

Pictures by Maks. His Livejournal blog, Flickr page, Photodrom gallery

Penela on Google Maps

Penela at PlanetWare