The entire town was under Moorish rule, until 1135, D. Afonso Henriques conquered the castle, giving it a charter in 1142. The fortress was rebuilt by Sancho in 1192, which granted a charter in 1195. This year there -if the last attack of the Muslims.

Although Afonso III in 1254, gather cuts in Leiria, only the reign of King Dinis the castle would be enacted royal residence (this time was donated to Santa Isabel of Aragon along with the commander’s residence). From there, the population expansion occurred outside the protective walls of the castle. The walls again surrounded the village because the dangers of new wars with Castile were always present.

In 1385 began the dynasty of Aviz to the Battle of Aljubarrota. That’s when peace is established defenitiva with Castile. It has also started expansion in North Africa.

While the kingdom was said abroad, the town grew to the river. The streets and squares fifteenth receive the renowned medieval fairs in the kingdom. The economic development situation and social developments of the fifteenth century allowed in Leiria were created the first paper mill and one of the first typographical workshops kingdom.

It was during the sixteenth century who built the Cathedral and the Church of Mercy. In Rodrigues Lobo Square, the old city center, was built, also at this time, the Palace of the Marquises of Vila Real. In this place will have been a hospital at St. Maninho.

The poet Francisco Rodrigues Lobo says in its seventeenth-century poetry on the Church of St. Augustine’s Convent, baroque, and also the panoramic views only possible to reach the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Incarnation.

From this place one can see the city, the Monte Real Spa and the famous Pinhal de Leiria, base of the caravels used in the Portuguese Discoveries. This secular pine forest exists today and continues to circle the Lake Ervedeira.

During the history of Portugal were made many Cortes in Leiria:

Leiria Cortes 1254

In 1254, D. Afonso III summoned representatives of the clergy, the nobility and the people to carry out Leiria Cortes. From that date, the old court nobles and clergy gave rise to a new institution, the emerging concept of “political pact” between the monarch and his subjects. Over the centuries, the cuts that took place in the church of San Pedro, within the walls of Castelo de Leiria, gave birth to the modern Parliament.

Leiria Cortes 1372

Gathered the new cuts in Leiria in 1372, in the reign of Ferdinand, they were marked by some of the popular opposition to the king’s wishes, who wanted to increase taxes to cover the state treasury and wage war to Castile. Amongst other grievances, representatives of municipalities were unhappy with taxes, the monarch worsened without consulting them, and changing the value of the currency. Records underscores the already apparent dependence on the king himself before the powers of Cortes.

Leiria Cortes of 1376

These Cortes took place in November 1376 with the sole purpose of performing the preitos and menagens to infants Beatriz of Portugal and D. Fradique de Castilla. Not any of them remaining chapters and only come down to us the testimony of one chronicler Fernão Lopes, the attorney of the county of Arronches, Elvas, Évora-Monte, Leiria Sortelha and their representatives as well as the actual text of preitos and menagens.

Leiria Cortes 1438

Finally, Duarte called Cuts to Leiria in 1438. In them it came from a problem of larger amounts: the Infant rescue Ferdinand, who had been captured in Tangier and in exchange for whose release was demanded delivery of Ceuta square. The opinions shown to be divided and was not taken any resolution. The infant, of course, would eventually die in captivity.

According to one, with the castle in possession of the Moors, was preparing King Afonso Henriques to resume it. By watching the crows flew over the castle, it seemed that repeated “not now, tomorrow morning.” For this reason, she waited until dawn to deliver the attack, managing to retake the castle.

Another legend says that under the castle there is a dormant volcano, responsible for heating the hot water supply.

The latter ensures that there is a secret underground passage which allows communication with a castle church, opposite the city.

By consolidating his rule from 1128, the young D. Afonso Henriques (1112-1185), planned to expand their domains, then limited the north by the Minho River to the southwest by the Serra da Estrela and the south by the Mondego river. To this end, from 1130, invaded several times the neighboring territory of Galicia in the north, while it remained attentive to the southern border, constantly attacked by Muslims.

In support of this Linde south, made strategically lift from the ground, a new castle between Coimbra and Santarém (1135), on top of a rocky elevation, just south of the confluence of the river Lis with the Lena River, to whose trim under the Paio Guterres command, entrusted the defense of the new frontier that there was trying to establish (cf. Brevis history Gothorum). In the village also began, and would designate its castle, called Leiria. Two years later, the town and its castle were assaulted by the Almohad Caliphate, who took advantage of an onslaught of the forces of Dom Afonso Henriques to Galicia (1137). After a fierce resistance, Palo Guterres and his men were forced to abandon their positions.

Back in the kingdom, the king organized a counter-offensive to stem the advance of the Moors, whose combined forces defeated the epic Battle of Ourique (July 25, 1139). At the end of the year, Muslims, aware that the Portuguese monarch had initiated new campaign against the King of Leon, Galicia, again attacked and conquered Leiria and its castle, whose defenders at the time, suffered heavy casualties, from your mayor , D. Paio Guterres to fall prisoner. Back at the hands of D. Afonso Henriques (1142), the monarch granted a charter to the town, determining the reconstruction and strengthening of the structure of the castle, which made erect a chapel under the invocation of Our Lady of Pena (between 1144 and 1147 ).

After 2 times 2 times lost and regained the castle of Leiria belong permanently to the Portuguese Province, helping the conquest of Santarém and Lisbon and therefore in building the country.

His successor, D. Sancho I (1185-1211), granted a new charter to the village (1195), determining erect a fence you amuralhada1. The development of the village was so significant at the time, that made headquarters of the Cortes of 1254, convened by King Afonso III (1248-1279).

Other monarchs devoted attention to Leiria, highlighting D. Dinis (1279-1325), who lived there several times, coming to donate in July 1300, to Queen Santa Isabel, the village and its castle, chosen for creating his heir, Prince Afonso (this time the Town were located in the old seminary). Is D. Dinis that is attributed to adapt the castle to the Palace of function, reconstruction of Our Lady of Pena chapel and the start of construction of powerful Watchtower (8 May 1324), a few months before his death . This tower was completed in the reign of his successor, as epigraphic inscription on the outside.

The village has developed in such a way that it was there that took the Cortes of 1254, convened by King Afonso III, the first cortes1 which were called representatives of the nobility, clergy and people. Since then the site has a lot of time chosen for the cuts, the base on which to build what is now the Parliament. Under the reign of Ferdinand (1367-1383), when here gathered the Cortes of 1372, the town was in expansion to the banks of the river Lys.

Under King John I (1385-1433), who celebrated here in 1401, the marriage of his son Alfonso (future Count of Barcelos and Duke of Bragança), they started the construction works of so-called Hall of the Queen or New palaces, where stand the Gothic vain and the space of its rooms and câmaras.D. Manuel I (1495-1521) granted the New Foral Leiria (1510), heave, in 1545, the city status by King John III (1521-1557).

The current configuration of Leiria Castle to the sum of four major construction periods:

1 – the twelfth-century Romanesque;
2 – Gothic dionisino, the first half of the fourteenth century;
3 – Gothic joanino of the fifteenth century beginnings, and
4 – current restorer of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century.
Some of the interventions promoted by Korrodi were later undone, considering that your project sinned by excessive romanticism, without regard to the actual profile (original) of the monument. Proof of this are the false ruins that still exist in the inner courtyard and near the port of betrayal.

The castle has an irregular polygonal plan, marked by the strength of its defensive system (walls and towers) inside which stand out the Royal Palace, the Church of Santa Maria da Pena and the Keep. Defended externally by a Barbican, the fence is enhanced by towers of square plan at regular intervals. This about ripping two doors: the Puerta del Sol in the south in what is now the Cathedral tower, and the Port of Castelinhos to the north, flanked by two towers. Surpassing to the Puerta del Sol is entered in a square where are a few buildings, the former Bishop’s Palace (now headquarters PSP) and the Chapel of St. Peter. Climbing up a ramp, along the fence of the village, one reaches the entrance to the castle, the Port Albacara, arched back round in a tower topped by merlons bevelled and torn by frestões, which served as bell tower of the Church nearby Nossa Senhora da Pena.

The castle walls are topped by merlons quadrangular, being reinforced at their most vulnerable stretch (where the slope of the land is not as marked) by a Barbican, followed by an advanced around the north and east. On the west side, ripping the call Door of Betrayal in Broken Bow. The inner stronghold, surrounded by walls belt, is arranged in a higher northwest platform, and is dominated by the castle keep.

The main castle structures can be described succinctly:

Porta da Albacara  - Door Albacara (cattle collection in Arabic), in Romanesque style, elbow as Muslim use. In the basement of the towers that stand, are some headstones with Roman inscriptions, derived from the old “civitas” of Colipo, which existed near the barrier – in much of the castle was actually built with civita stones, nothing left this to not be the stones here transladadas.

Casa da Guarda, house of the guard, set erected at the time of restoration work started in 1915, as proposed originally from Korrodi. In his porch include some columns and late-Gothic corbels originated from the ancient cloister convent of Santa Ana de Leiria (1494-c. 1917-1920), the nuns of the Order of St. Dominic.

Torre dos Sinos, The Bells Tower, access door to the primitive fortified enclosure, pentagonal and with Romanesque arches and frames containing orbiculars cruciform signs or Templars. In the thirteenth century it was adapted as a bell tower of the nearby Church of Santa Maria Pena when they were torn new windows in Gothic style. It was also called, to medieval times, as Tower Buçaqueira, which may indicate that it was the hawks would house used by royalty in their hunts.

Igreja de Santa Maria da Pena, Church of Santa Maria Pena, evolution of the first temple of Leiria, casteleira chapel of Nossa Senhora da Pena. It has a single rectangular nave, with a nave and chancel in the Gothic style, accessed laterally by a pointed portal five archivolts supported by smooth columns. The polygonal apse reveals ribbed vaults cover 7 cloths. The side panels of the chancel are torn by cracks ogivais two fires, topped by quatrefoils. Was used as a palace chapel by Dynasty Avis.No choir can even see a Roman stone Collipo dedicated to Emperor Antoninus Augustus Pius, and out the sacristy Manueline have access to the ruins.

Ruínas da Colegiada, Collegiate ruins of the canons and clerics Crosier of Leiria. Place of archaeological interest, here there courtroom, cells and dormitories, dining room, kitchen, patio, cumuas and cistern that met the religious and served the Church of Pena.

Paços Novos, Paços do Castelo, or Paços Reais, New Town Hall, Town Hall Castle or Royal Hall, with square plan, the dimensions of 33 mx 21 m. It consists of lateral towers of four floors and a central body 3. In the lower floor, there is a large lounge with three robust Gothic arches (Hall of Arches), while on the second floor two smaller halls served the day-to-day Palace (kitchen, wine cellar, bedroom). On the third floor, the royal rooms are located in the extreme, divided by the Main Hall (Hall of Hearings) that opened into a gallery or loggia of Mediterranean Gothic arches from where you can enjoy a beautiful view over the city. Two bodies that make up the flank fourth floor, which had its interior divided into at the time, luxury sanitary facilities.

Pátio Interior, Interior Square of historical and architectural interest is testimony of the monument restoration policies in the twentieth century, highlighting the options for the false ruin and by intentionally unfinished work.
Celeiros Medievais, Medieval barns, set of three datable barns of the thirteenth century, vaulted in masonry, which should be complemented with primitavamente construction wood and mud, which no longer exists.

Porta da Traição and Falsas Ruínas, Door Treason and False Ruins, a wall of cloth torn west almost completely restored in the 1930s, marks the site of the original door, which is believed to have entered the Muslims in one of the castle taken. They also observe false ruins characteristics of Monument restore options between 1930 and 1950.
Torre de Menagem, Keep, prismatic plant, rising to 17 meters high (some added during its reconstruction), is divided internally into three floors topped by a terrace and crowned by merlons quadrangular. Sent perform on the foundations of an earlier tower by D. Dinis, a Gothic epigraphic tombstone, inscribed with the royal coats of arms, points out that fact in left at the door. It was used as a royal prison since mid-fourteenth century and is active also in the second half of the eighteenth century. In the enclosure, persist ruined remains of the fifteenth century works. Currently patent is a museum nucleus inside.

Torre Sineira da Sé, The Cathedral’s Bell Tower, in Baroque style, stands on one of the ancient medieval towers of Puerta del Sol. Around 1546, we proceeded to its enlargement and reform, and took advantage of the castle door to install the house bell ringer. Later, during the episcopate of Don Miguel de Bouillon (1761-1779) acquired the present form spire featuring on the crest of this bishop. Determined with six bells made in 1800 by the master-founder John Craveiro de Faria. It is quadrangular at the top consists of a pyramid having an angel as the top vane. Once worked as a prison and was next to the police.

Portas do Norte, Doors North, or Castelinhos, mark the beginning of the Romanesque walls of Leiria involving a perimeter of about 5 hectares to the north and east. Prior to 1152, gave access to the missing parish church of Santiago and Coimbrã Bridge. Are composed of two watch chariot and Barbican on whose porch falls one of the oldest coats of Leiria county (XIV century), in which it is observed, around a castle, two pine topped by crows, symbolizing the legend Foundation Leiria by D. Afonso Henriques.

Antigo Paço Episcopal, Former Bishop’s Palace, now occupied by the PSP, is a significant example of Portuguese architecture of the seventeenth century manor, highlighting the portal and the noble window superimposed. It stands on the site of the ancient royal Paços de São Simão where resided, among others, D. Afonso III, D. Dinis, Queen Santa Isabel and Ferdinand. It was here where took place the Cortes 1254.

Igreja de São Pedro, Church of St. Peter, Romanesque Coimbra (head) and southern (portico) was built in limestone and brick, with Romanesque sculptural figurations at the level of dogs and decorative friezes of archivolts. It became the second cathedral of Leiria (c. 1548-1574) and in the nineteenth century, used as an auditorium. Also it came to be used as a barn.

The name “Leiria” in Portuguese derives from ‘leira’ (from the medieval Galician-Portuguese form ‘laria’, from proto-Celtic *ɸlār-yo-, akin to Old Irish ‘làr’ ‘ground, floor’, Breton ‘leur’ ‘ground’, Welsh ‘llawr’ ‘floor’) meaning an area with small farming plots. It was occupied by the Suebi in 414 and later incorporated by Leovigild into the Visigoths kingdom in 585 A.D. Later the Moors occupied the area until it was captured by the first King of Portugal, Afonso Henriques in 1135, during the so-called Reconquista. The settlement was intermittently attacked until 1140. South of Leiria in that period was the so-called “no-man’s land”, until regions further south (like Santarém and Lisbon) were permanently taken and re-populated by the Christians. In 1142 Afonso Henriques gave Leiria its first foral (compilation of feudal rights) to stimulate the colonisation of the region.

Both Afonso I of Portugal and Sancho I rebuilt the walls and the Leiria Castle to avoid new enemy incursions. Most of the population lived inside the protective city walls, but already in the 12th century part of the population lived outside the walls. The oldest church of Leiria, the Church of Saint Peter (Igreja de São Pedro), built in romanesque style in the last quarter of the 12th century, served the parish located outside the walls.

During the Middle Ages the importance of the village increased, and it was the setting of several cortes (feudal parliaments). The first of the cortes held in Leiria took place in 1245, under King Afonso II. In the early 14th century, King Dinis I restored thekeep tower of the citadel of the castle, as can be seen in an inscription in the tower. He also built a royal residence in Leiria (now lost), and lived for long periods in the town, which he donated as feud to his wife, Isabel. The King also ordered the plantation of the famous Pine Forest of Leiria (Pinhal de Leiria) near the coast. Later, the wood from this forest would be used to build the ships used in the Portuguese Navigations of the 15th and 16th centuries.

In the late 14th century, King John I built a royal palace within the walls of the castle of Leiria. This palace, with elegant gothicgalleries that offered wonderful views of the town and surrounding landscape, was totally in ruins but was partially rebuilt in the 20th century. John I also sponsored the rebuilding in late gothic style of the old Church of Our Lady of the Rock (Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Pedra), located inside the castle.

Towards the end of the 15th century the town continued to grow, occupying the area from the castle hill down to the river Lis. King Manuel I gave it a new foral in 1510, and in 1545 it was elevated to the category of city and became see of a Diocese. The Cathedral of Leiria was built in the second half of the 16th century in a mix of latemanueline and mannerist styles.

Compared to the Middle Ages, the subsequent history of Leiria is of relative decadence. The city was stormed by the Peninsular War, namely in 1808 (the killing of Portela, by the troops of Gen. Margaron) and the Great Fire of 1811, caused by the Napoleonic troops retreating from the Lines of Torres Vedras. In the 20th century, however, its strategic position in the Portuguese territory favoured the development of a diversified industry.

Leiria is located in the Centro Region and sub region of Pinhal Litoral, about halfway between Lisbon and Porto. The distance to Lisbon is 137 kilometres (85 miles), to Coimbra70 kilometres (43 miles) and to Porto 177 kilometres (110 miles). The historic city centre spreads between the castle hill and the river Lis.

Leiria is also included in the Região de Leiria. As the main city in this community, the area of influence of Leiria spreads over the cities of Marinha Grande, Ourém, Alcobaça,Fátima, Pombal as well the municipalities/town seats of Batalha, Porto de Mós and Nazaré located nearby.

As well as being a site of historical interest, the Castle of Leiria provides a venue for cultural events . Situated close to the castle, the Church of Saint Peter (Igreja de São Pedro) is used as the venue of Leiria’s annual festival of music. Leiria is also home to m|i|mo, Portugal’s only Museum of the Moving Image and the Paper museum  (Museu do moinho do papel) situated at the site of Portugal’s first paper mill. The Theatre Miguel Franco in the market Sant’Ana (Mercado de Sant’Ana) and The Theatre José Lúcio da Silva are venues for theatre, music and dance performances, as well as cinema.

The city is the birthplace of several leading Portuguese poets, such as Afonso Lopes Vieira and Francisco Rodrigues Lobo, after whom the central square is named. Today the square is home to a thriving café culture, as well as being regularly used for cultural events. Other poetes: The King D.Dinis (Denis of Portugal) and the writer Eça de Queiroz who wrote his first realist novel, O Crime do Padre Amaro (“The Sin of Father Amaro”), which is set in the city and was first published in 1875. There are also Film and TV adaptations.^[5]

The city has several cultural associations and bookshops who give presentations of cultural and artistic projects, with Bookshop Arquivo and Cultural Association Célula Membrana offering the busiest calendar of events.

In recent years, Leiria has seen much re-development to the banks of the river Liz . These developments have created several new parks, public spaces, children’s play areas and a series of themed bridges. Additionally, a long promenade has been created which is popular with both walkers and joggers.

There are several summer Festivals held in the region. The town hosts a monthly antiques market.