“Beautiful” is what the Greeks might have called this place. The Castro Soalhão. Today we explore a site with roots stretching back to a protohistoric hillfort named Cale.
Welcome to Castro Soalhão. A place where history whispers on the wind.
The story of Castro Soalhão begins long before Portugal was Portugal. Imagine this hilltop. It is Penaventosa. Granite rises sharply. Steep slopes defend it. The Douro and Vila rivers flow below. Perfect for a fort.
Around 200 BCE the Romans arrived. They conquered the area. They renamed Cale to Portus Cale. “Portus” means port. “Cale” means warm or passage. Castro Soalhão became a strategic point. It controlled the Douro River mouth. The Romans reorganized the streets. They built rectangular houses.
By the end of Roman rule, Portus Cale grew. It became an important port city. Travelers journeyed between Olissipo now Lisbon and Braca Augusta now Braga. They stopped here. They crossed the river. They rested. They changed horses. Both sides of the Douro near Portus Cale were called Portucale.
The Suevi, a Germanic tribe, conquered Portucale in the 5th century. Then came the Visigoths. Even with political and commercial problems, Portucale remained important.
Under the Visigoths, Portucale made new coins. They showed the name Portucale or Portocale. A bishop from Portucale attended the Third Council of Toledo in 589.
The Moors invaded in 711. They captured Portucale in 716. The city suffered destruction. However, Moorish control was brief.
In 750 King Afonso I of Asturias retook the city. It was abandoned for almost 100 years. Portucale changed hands many times. It went between the Moors and Christian armies.
King Afonso III of Asturias sent Vímara Peres in 868. He was a Christian warrior. His mission was to conquer and repopulate the lands between the Minho and Douro rivers. He succeeded. King Afonso III made Vímara Peres Count of Condado de Portucale.
Portucale was rebuilt. It became the capital of Condado de Portucale. As the Reconquista advanced, the city prospered. This was despite Viking raids. Portucale referred to the city and the new country of Portugal.
Over time Condado de Portucale grew. It included Condado de Coimbra and Trás-os-Montes. Eventually, it was renamed Condado Portucalense. Its lands were bigger than the city.
In 1096 King Afonso VI of Leon used Condado Portucalense as a wedding gift. His daughter D. Teresa married Count Henrique of Burgundy. They became the parents of Afonso Henriques. He was the first Portuguese king.
In 1114 the diocese of Porto was restored. Bishop D. Hugo ruled. Countess D. Teresa gave him lands in the Portucale area. She made him Lord of Portucale. Bishop D. Hugo granted the city a charter in 1123. He hoped to boost trade.
The North of Portugal was safe. Portugal’s borders stretched to the Tagus River near Lisbon. New people came to Portucale. The city expanded beyond its walls. It grew into an important port city.
People built houses and farms outside the walls. New streets connected these settlements. Rua do Souto, Rua da Lada, and Rua da Reboleira are examples. They still exist today. Two main areas developed. The high town was around the Cathedral. The downtown was near the Douro River.
In 1408 King João I and Bishop Gil Alma agreed. The city lordship passed from the bishop to the crown. The city gained administrative power.
So, as you stand here at Castro Soalhão remember its long journey. From a simple hillfort to a Roman port. From battles to rebirth. It played a key role in Portugal’s story. Its history is beautiful like the Greeks may have said.