Considering Lisbon’s captivating past at the Núcleo Arqueológico do Castelo de São Jorge. Here at the Núcleo Arqueológico do Castelo de São Jorge, we stand on layers of history. This isn’t just a castle. It’s a time capsule revealing Lisbon’s story.
Let’s journey back to the 7th century BC. Imagine a fortified village atop this hill. The terrain offered natural defenses. Steep slopes guarded the north east and west. Water sources were plentiful. It was the perfect spot to watch the Tagus estuary.
Lisbon traded with Phoenicians from Gibraltar back then. This contact brought new ideas. Think potter’s wheels iron metallurgy and new building styles. They even adopted the Phoenician language. At the Núcleo Arqueológico do Castelo de São Jorge, you can see remnants of this era. A rectangular room remains from a residential area. It was likely a kitchen with a fire area. Ceramic containers were found here. Objects from across the Eastern Mediterranean have been discovered. These include items from Greece the Near East and North Africa.
Fast forward to the 11th and 12th centuries. The area became a casbah. Military religious and administrative elites lived here. Around this time an urban renewal project took place. In the northern part of the citadel, a residential neighborhood emerged.
Two connected houses stand out. They measure 160m² and 187m². Three roads flanked these houses. Simpler structures surrounded them. The houses centered on a patio. Living rooms chambers kitchens pantries and latrines opened onto this space.
These homes boasted high-quality finishes. The living rooms and chambers featured painted stucco with geometric designs. Floors were made of white or red mortar. Patios provided light and air. Stone slabs covered the floors. Traces of stucco with the Islamic “cord of happiness” motif remain. Pantries on the eastern side were cool. Underground spaces stored cereals. Large ceramic pots held food and water.
Look closely at the cobbled road. You can see the old sanitation system. It carried sewage to a cesspit. The wall separating the residential area from the religious area still stands. Remains of the monumental entrance to the mosque are visible. Tradition says the current Santa Cruz church occupies the same spot.
Later Afonso Henriques gifted land to Gilberto Bishop of Lisbon. The old episcopal palace was then built. The medieval ruins you see today are from the east and central wings. These were service areas like kitchens pantries storerooms and a stable. They likely belonged to the episcopal palace.
In the east wing find a raised red mortar floor. Hispano-Arab tiles and green and white floor tiles decorate it. These date back to the late 15th or early 16th century. Dona Isabel de Souza da Silva likely commissioned them. Elsewhere you can spot layers of renovations. There are 16th-century cobblestones and 18th-century tiles. The Museum Centre displays a doorway a window and a tile panel. Angels and plants adorn the late 17th-century tiles. A staircase once led to the floor above.
In the central section a small underground pantry exists. Stairs lead to its domed roof. Everyday objects from the 17th and 18th centuries were found among the rubble. Faience and porcelain pieces testify to the wealth of the families who lived here. The Núcleo Arqueológico do Castelo de São Jorge reveals the lives of those who shaped Lisbon.