Castle Of St. George


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Castle Of St. George
	Castle of St. George or St. George's Castle is situated in the capital city of Portugal, Lisbon. The castle is situated in such a way that it can seen from various parts of the city. The castle has been renovated in the recent past. The monument was first built and fortified by Roman, Visigoths and Moors. During the olden times, the castle has also served as the Moorish Royal Residence. Other than this, Portugal's King Alfonso Henriques captured the castle in the year 1147. It was after this capturing of the castle that the castle was named and dedicated to St. George. He was the royal saint of England.

Castle of St. George is now known for the peace that surrounds the place. On the main gate of castle there is a statue of King Alfonso Henriques. There is a series of cannons which actually reminds the past of the castle. There are some remains of the Alcacovas Palace where the medieval kings lived. There remains a stone building of the palace which now has a restaurant in it. Also in the Castle of St. George you can have a look at Lisbon's history which is shown in a multi media format. This multimedia show id known as Olissiponia. You can see this show in the three underground chambers. One of the chambers is the place where Vasco Da Gama was received by King Manuel.

The show includes a simulation which shows the 1775 earthquake. The show also depicts the fall or the collapse of Carmo Church.

The Castle of St. George was mostly destroyed over the years but the old structure still has its remains in the form of the long walls and towers. There are 18 towers. Visitors are allowed to climb the towers. From the towers you can have a lovely view of the city. Also there is a garden which boasts of various kinds of birds which include peacock, ducks and a lot more. There is a Tower of Ulysses which has a periscope which is known as Camara Escura. This periscope gives a lovely sight of the city.