Torre dos Almadas

Tower of the Almadas
Torre dos Almadas
Torre dos Almadas (2017)
Former namesPalace of the Almadas; Castle of the Almadas
General information
StatusInserted inside the GHC
Architectural style
Gothic
ClassificationTower house; Protected landmark
LocationOliveira, São Paio e São Sebastião, Guimarães, Portugal
Coordinates41°26′33″N 8°17′38″W / 41.44238°N 8.29381°W / 41.44238; -8.29381
Completed
Sometime before 1279
Renovated1974
DemolishedSometime between the 13th and 15th centuries
LandlordAAELG
Technical details
Floor count3

The Tower of the Almadas (Portuguese: Torre dos Almadas) is a gothic medieval tower house in Guimarães, Portugal.

History

Originally, the building formed part of a larger noble medieval residence built sometime prior to 1279, which was later mostly torn down sometime between the 13th and 15th centuries, along with other neighboring buildings, and reduced in size following the expansion and densification of the city centre. Following this demolition, the tower part of the house became exposed to the rest of the city, needing the addition of windows and an entrance gate.

In 1964 the city government (Câmara Municipal) of Guimarães leased the building to the Association of Former Students of the Guimarães High School (AAELG, in Portuguese). Since 1968, it serves as the headquarters of this association and is the official location where the annual Nicolinas Festivities committee is officialized. Prior to this, it was referred to as Palace of the Almadas, being then changed to Castle of the Almadas until being officially changed to its current name, Tower of the Almadas, on 29 November 1971.

The interior of the tower was restored and redone following a bomb explosion in 1974. In 2001 the Historic Centre of Guimarães, which the tower is part of, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Marques, Filipe (2011). "Projecto Urbano do Toural: Presente, Passado e Futuro - Guimarães" (PDF). ubibliorum.ubi.pt. Covilhã. pp. 13(31st digital). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 December 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  2. ↑ Marques, Filipe (2011). "Projecto Urbano do Toural: Presente, Passado e Futuro - Guimarães" (PDF). ubibliorum.ubi.pt. Covilhã. pp. 17(35th digital). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 December 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2025. (incorrectly building depicted as “Casa dos Almadas”)
  3. 1 2 3 4 "AAELG - Velhos Nicolinos - Torre dos Almadas". www.nicolinos.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  4. ↑ "Termo de entrega da chave da Torre dos Almadas à Associação dos Antigos Estudantes do Liceu de Guimarães" [Term of delivery of the key to the Tower of the Almadas to the Association of Former Students of the Guimarães High School(AAELG)] (PDF) (in Portuguese). Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  5. ↑ "Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zone". whc.unesco.org. Archived from the original on 7 May 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2025.