The document summarizes the history of the Castle of Messejana in Portugal. It was originally built during Muslim occupation in the 12th century, as evidenced by coins found from that era. It was damaged when reconquered by Christians in 1235. The castle was rebuilt in 1326 and later gifted to noble João da Silva. It lost importance after the end of the Portuguese monarchy and fell into disrepair, though its ruins remain.

1. THE CASTLE OF
MESSEJANA
A GREAT TESTIMONY OF THE
MEDIEVAL TIMES
THE CASTLE OF MESSEJANA IS A MILITARY MONUMENT WHICH
IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN BUILT DURING THE MUSLIM
OCCUPATION. THIS BELIEF IS SUBSTANTIATED BY THE FACT
THAT THERE WERE FIRST FOUND INSIDE THIS CASTLE GOLD
COINS MADE IN HONOR OF THE MUSLIM LEADERS IBN WAZIR
AND ISHAQ IBN ALI, IN 1146. WHEN THE LAND OF MESSEJANA
WAS RECONQUERED BY THE KING D. SACHO II, IN 1235, THE
CASTLE COULD BE FOUND ALREADY DAMAGED. THERE WAS
LATER DISCOVERED, IN THE MODERN DAYS, AN ENGRAVED
STONE WITH THE SENTENCE «E M CCC XXVI ANIIS INFINE M
DII PO SOUDO ME» (IN THE YEAR 1326, IN THE END OF THE
SEVENTH MONTH, PÊRO SOUDO MADE ME), MARKING THE
DATE OF THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE CASTLE (1288 IN THE
CHRISTIAN YEARS, BY THE ORDER OF THE KING D. DINIS). THE
KING D. JOÃO III LATER OFFERED THIS MONUMENT TO THE
NOBLE D. JOÃO DA SILVA, THE SIXTH SIR OF VAGOS, ALSO
KNOWN AS THE «GREAT GOVERNOR». HE ENDED UP PASSING
THIS POSSESSION TO HIS SON, D. LOURENÇO DA SILVA, THE
SEVENTH SIR OF VAGOS, WHO BUILT THE FRANCISCAN
CONVENT, ANOTHER REMARKABLE MONUMENT OF
MESSEJANA, IN 1570. THE CASTLE OF MESSEJANA ONCE
RECEIVED THE VISIT OF THE KING D. SEBASTIÃO, AND IT WAS
HERE WHERE HE CONVINCED D. LOURENÇO DA SILVA TO FIGHT
IN THE BATTLE OF ALCÁCER-QUIBIR, FIVE YEARS BEFORE THIS
FATAL EVENT THAT PROVOKED THE DEATH OF BOTH. THE
CASTLE LOST HIS ROLE AFTER THE END OF THE MONARCHY ,
BEING CONDEMMNED TO DEGRADATION. IT' S RUINS ARE STILL
VISIBLE AND ADMIRED BY MANY,
THE CASTLE OF MESSEJANA
T H E L E G E N D O F « T H E M E S S E J A N A ' S B U L L »
ONCE UPON A TIME, A GIRL NAMED ROSA LIVED IN MESSEJANA, AND
SHE WAS BELIEVED TO BE THE MOST GORGEOUS GIRL TO EVER EXIST IN
THIS VILLAGE. SHE WAS VERY WANTED AMONG THE MEN, BUT HER
HEART BELONGED TO ONE BOY ONLY, ANTÓNIO. ONE DAY, ANTÓNIO
WENT TO HER WINDOW TO ASK FOR HER HAND, AND SHE SAID YES.
THEY MOVED TOGETHER TO THE HORTA DO CABO, INSIDE THE
CONVENCE FENCE. YEARS PASSED BY AND LIFE WAS GOOD TO THIS
ENAMORATED COUPLE. CERTAIN DAY, ROSA WAS WASHING HER
CLOTHES IN THE YARD WHEN SHE HEARD A WHISPER COMING DOWN
FROM A TREE. WHEN SHE LOOKED UP, SHE WAS TERRIEFIED TO SEE A
WOMAN WITH THE BODY OF A SERPENT FROM THE WAIST DOWN. AS
SHE SCREAMED IN FEAR, THE WOMAN TOLD HER TO CALM DOWN AND
LISTEN CAREFULLY TO HER STORY. THE WOMAN BEGUN TO EXPLAIN
HOW SHE WAS THE DAUGHTER OF THE GOVERNOR OF THE CASTLE, AND
HOW THEY WERE BOTH ENCHANTED INTO BECAMING ANIMALS: SHE
BECAME A SERPENT AND HER FATHER A BULL. ONE DAY EVERY YEAR,
SHE WOULD RECEIVE AGAIN HALF HER HUMAN FORM, AND SHE ASKED
ROSA FOR HER HELP TO GET OUT THIS TORMENT. ALL SHE ASKED FOR
WAS: «WHEN THE BELLS ANNOUNCE MIDNIGHT, YOU MUST GO TO THE
FRONT OF THE CONVENT WITH A SILK CLOTH FOLDED THREE TIMES IN A
TRIANGLE AND CLEAN THE BULL'S SLIME. AFTER THAT, WE''LL BE FREE
OF THIS CURSE». ROSA, AS GENEROUS AS SHE WAS, ACCEPTED. A FEW
MINUTES BEFORE MIDNIGHT, SHE MARCHED UP TO THE FRONT OF THE
CONVENT AND WAITED. WHEN THE BELLS RANG, A RAGING BULL CAME
OUT THE DOOR, AND SHE FELT PETRIFIED. SHE FELL TO THE GROUND,
FAINTING, AND THE BULL DISAPPEARED, CURSED FOR ETERNITY. ROSA
ENDED UP BEING IN A TRANSE FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE, LOSING HER
SPEECH AND GROWING INSANE AS EACH DAY PASSED BY, UNTIL THE
DAY OF HER DEATH. THE LEGEND SAYS IF YOU GO TO THE CONVENT
CERTAIN DAY EVERY YEAR AT EXACTLY MIDNIGHT, YOU CAN HEAR THE
ANGRY NOISES OF THE ENCHANTED BULL AND THE SCREAMS OF THE
POOR ROSA.
T H I S L E G E N D T A K E S P L A C E I N T H E F R A N C I S C A N C O N V E N T O F
M E S S E J A N A , B U I L T I N 1 5 7 0 B Y O R D E R O F T H E N O B L E D .
L O U R E N Ç O D A S I L V A .
THE CASTLE OF MESSEJANA
THE CONVENT OF MESSEJANA
POSTER OF THE LEGEND