Statue Of Afonso Henriques At Guimarães Castle

The bronze statue of Afonso Henriques at Guimarães Castle shows the first king of Portugal as the town wants him remembered: a medieval warrior in armour, sword in hand, standing guard before the walls where, according to tradition, the country began. It stands on a stone plinth in the open ground in front of the castle entrance, close to the small Romanesque Church of São Miguel, and it looks out toward the old town. The pose is firm and upright, a monument to a founder rather than a portrait of a man.

The king himself is a figure at the point where history and legend meet. Afonso Henriques was the son of Henrique of Burgundy, who held the County of Portugal, and Teresa, daughter of the king of León. He is traditionally said to have been born in Guimarães in the early 12th century, though some historians prefer other places. In 1128 he defeated his mother's forces at São Mamede, close to the town, and took control of the county. He was later acclaimed king, and in 1143 his title was recognised by the treaty of Zamora, and in 1147 his army, with the help of crusaders, took Lisbon from the Muslims. The conquest of the south over the following decades extended the kingdom to roughly its modern shape in the following century.

The castle behind the statue has a story that fits the setting. A fortress was founded in the 10th century by Countess Mumadona Dias to protect the nearby monastery from Viking and Moorish raids, and it was rebuilt in the Middle Ages with a tall central keep and a ring of walls. By the 19th century it had fallen into ruin. In the 20th century, when the national past was being celebrated, it was restored and the figure of the first king placed outside, which helped to cement its status as a national symbol. Schoolchildren come here to learn the story, and the statue is often the first thing visitors photograph.

The site is a good place to sit and take in the whole group of monuments: the castle, the church, the Paço dos Duques below, and the hills beyond. Open hours for the castle are set locally and may change, but the statue and grounds in front can be seen from outside. The walk up from the old town is short but steep.

It suits history readers, families, and anyone who likes to see how a nation honours its founder. Early morning gives good light and few visitors.