With a geographical location that gives it excellent natural conditions for defence, the history of the Ansiães Castle dates back thousands of years to around the 3rd millennium BC. Since this period, the geomorphological features of the site have contributed greatly to an almost successive occupation of the topography. The natural defence was particularly important during the Christian reconquest. At that time, Ansiães was granted its first charter letter by Leonean King Ferdinand Magno. The 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th centuries defined an exponential growth period of this walled stronghold. Afonso Henriques in 1160, Sancho I in 1198, Afonso II in 1219 and finally King Manuel I in 1510 recognised and promulgated the provincial town of Ansiães. In the late fifteenth century, and particularly in the sixteenth century, the population of Ansiães began to decline, and in 1527 some villages that were part of the county were already more densely populated than Ansiães. In the ensuing centuries, this trend intensified, culminating in the transfer of the town hall to Carrazeda in 1734 due to the low population of the old stronghold.
Location: Carrazeda de Ansiães
