This document provides details about Castelo de Almada, a medieval castle located in Almada, Portugal. It describes the castle's strategic location on the Tagus River and history of expansion over centuries. It also shares two legends associated with the castle. One legend involves a Moorish woman named Fatima who fell in love with a Portuguese warrior and converted to Christianity. The other legend tells the story of a Moorish chief named Abu who attacked a local farm but spared the lives of the owner and his daughter Alda, who impressed Abu with her bravery. They were soon rescued by Portuguese knight Dom Paio Peres Correia.

1. We went to Castelo de Almada
Almada, a medieval settlement strategically located on the left bank of the Tagus River, bordering
Lisbon, its current name dates to the Muslim occupation, when it was called al-Madan (gold or
silver mine), alluding to the mineral extraction activity practiced in the region, time

2. Throughout the centuries the castle structure was successively enlarged and reinforced, for
example the construction, at the time of D. Manuel I (1495-1521), of a tower in the south section
of the wall.
In the context of the Portuguese Civil War (1828-1834), during the combat of Cacilhas (23 of July
of 1833), this was the last position miguelista to surrender to the liberal forces.
Today, occupied by the Detachment of Intervention of Setúbal of the National Republican Guard,
conserves part of its old walls. Open to the public, the castle garden is a tourist and leisure spot.
The castle is on a high place from where we can see:
The Christ King

3. The Tejo river
The 25th of April Bridg

4. We cannot enter because it is occupied by the GNR and we can only play in the Garden where
formerly played princesses and princes. Our King does not live there either.
There are 2 legends of Castelo de Almada:
The Legend of the Castle of Almada da Moura Fátima Oureana
Somemay wonder, but what does this legend have to do withAlmada? Well, according to Frei Francisco de Santa
Maria, a Portuguese writer of the eighteenth century, in his work Anno historico, the Moor Fátima, legend falls
in love with the Portuguese warrior Gonçalo Hermiges (see image), converting to Christianity and changing the
name to Oureana (legend that is the origin of the names of the cities of Fatima and Ourém), was from Almada!

5. Warrior Gonçalo Hermiges and the Moor Fátima Oureana
The legend spread in Ourém, published by Friar Bernardo de Brito in the "Chronicle of the Order
of Cister" (Book VI, Chapter I), says however that Fatima was the daughter of the alcalde or the
Moorish king of Alcácer do Sal (2) , however Br. Francis gives another version that we transcribe
below:

6. "June 24 - XI. Goncalo Hermiges, illustrious Portuguese Knight, from the time of our first King, was
not less understood, than illustrious, and not less strenuous, than understood. He made the verses
with more elegance, and culture, than could be expected from the roughness of that age, and by
them was in the Court esteemed, and applauded with advantages to those of his sphere. In value
he equaled in the campaign to the most fearless. He had against the Moors such an ardent aversion,
that in seeing them, but that they were either ambassadors or captives, his heart leapt in the
chest of such a fort, that he saw in his face the signs of wrath. His most frequent exercise was to
walk in continuous invazoens on the lands of the barbarians, making him all manner of hostilities,
without pardoning the living thing, and so many were killed by the blows of his sword, which he
commonly called the Traga-Moors, Among other cases, what we now say will succeed him. It was
found before dawn on this day, in the year 1170, near Almada, Villa bordering Lisbon, he knew
that at the break of dawn the Moors of the same Villa would have to escape to the freshness and
amenity of the fields and to celebrate , in their own way, that Saint (St. John the Baptist), to
whom they render veneration, and give their applause to the same infidels. At the point where
they sailed, they were suddenly attacked by the Portuguese, and thronged with great numbers,

7. with the sword, others with the fetters, recovered, but those who remained, seeing the few
people, who invested them, were made in one body in our offense, and he fought a very hard
fight. The Moors strive to see, and hearing the tears and groans of their families, and since these
voices of nature and love gave them breaths, as they were cut off from the first fear, they will
give way to the furious impression of our arms. The Portuguese are gathered to the clubs loaded
with rich spoils, of which the generous, in love Herrniges, did not want another for himself, more
than a most beautiful Moura named Fatima, whom he had taken by his hand, and of whom he soon
became captive. He treated her with honest attentions, very different from those used for military
leave. He succeeded in cherishing him, and he received his baptism, and in him changed the name
of Fatima in Oriana. Then he gave her the hand of a husband, and they will both begin to be an
example of conjugal love to the whole Kingdom; and Hermiges, already forgetful of all that was
not his Oriana, only devoted to her the elegance of his ingenuity, and the affections of his heart;
but by snatching death within a few days, he was in a position to lose his mind, until he fell into
himself, and entering into the true knowledge of the vanities of this life, took the habit of Cister
in the Monastery of Alcobaça, employing all his possessions , which were many, in the erection of

8. the Monastery of Tamaraes next to Villa de Ourém, where he died. This Convent no longer appears,
because its lace will be applied to the College of Sao Bernardo de Coimbra.
The Moorish Fatima Oureana, Ana Oliveira image.
This legendary text has the curiosity not only to situate the origin of Fatima in Almada, but
also to report devotion to Saint John the Baptist, the patron saint of the city of Almada, in the

9. Muslim population that remained in Almada, even after his death. conquest by D. Afonso Henriques
in 1147. It is curious that the year that the author attributed to the legend is the same as the
charter for the Moors of Almada, 1170.
Although we are speaking only of traditions, as popular wisdom says - "Legends always have a
true background", and perhaps this is the origin of the Cult of. As admitted by researcher António
Neves Policarpo.
RUI M. MENDES
Caparica, 12 m
May 2013

10. Legend of the Warrior and the Virgin
There are old stories that plunge into the penumbra of the centuries and that only at times can
rise to the surface of memory. Much research. A great devotion to the ways of the past. Very lucky
to find almost unbelievable traces ...
This is what happened, for example, with this old and glorious legend, which was forever rooted
in the very remote origin of the picturesque village of Paio Pires, three kilometers from Seixal,
right by the road from Cacilhas to Setubal.
They pretend that the name of the land has other more rigorous origins. But in the opinion of the
people, the good people of Portugal, the name Paio Pires derives from a romantic and heroic
adventure of the famous D. Paio Peres Correia.
And in any case, whether this origin was, we know for sure today that such territory, in the
principles of Nationality, belonged to the zone defended by the castle of Almada. It was thus that
he fell into the power of the Portuguese forces, when D. Afonso Henriques had conquered the

11. Moors Lisbon and all that territory, in a show of bravery and courage that no one had been able
to oppose ...
Approximately a century later, that is, at the beginning of the thirteenth century, although D
Sancho I had given Almada a charter and donated to the knights of Sant'Iago, there were still
wandering Moors there. Outraged and desirous of revenge, of revenge, guarding in themselves the
ambitious dream of trying one day the adventure of the reconquest.
Among them stood the young Abu, soul burned with hatred.
"I will kill all those Christian dogs, as they killed my father and my grandfather! ... All this must
be mine again!"
He looked at his companions. And stretching out his arms, in a longing for possession, he always
ended his words with an emphasis:
"Yes, all this must be ours!" I swear by Allah!

12. But in truth, few people listened. They felt hopelessly defeated, since Almada-old Al-Maden, the
mine-had also become Christians. And those who did not flee far preferred to surrender to the
new lord, the king of Portugal, and serve him respectfully. Faithfully.
But Abu could not forgive them at all.
- Disgusting traitors! May the curse of Allah be upon them! Damn you, stay forever!
In an impulse of courage, his voice was still growing with hatred and threat.
"I'll never give myself up for myself!" Did you hear well? Never!
His eyes fixed on his companions. One by one. Burning in the fever of rancor.
- I will fight to the last drop of my blood! ... And those who want, follow me, because I know
where we can take good prey.
Moments of amazement. And Abu laughing wildly. Cruelly.
"Our revenge will be terrible, comrades!

13. The year was 1238. Abu and his band began to spread the terror around Almada, feeling stronger
and stronger, since the Saracens had once again entered the possession of several castles, such
as the of Mértola, considered by them an authentic key for the reconquest of Lisbon.
And with such boldness they were filled, that Abu decided to attack a large farm that was very
close to Almada. For this he managed to find an already larger group, promising that he would
let them plunder and loot at will.
- Listen! We will go in the dead of night ... I know that the owner of the farm is an old captain
and lives only with his daughter and some servants. So we have nothing to fear. The attack will
be by surprise!
His eyes flashed with malice as he shouted,
"Let not one live!" Not one!
Disclose the plan of attack among them all, they waited for the night, preparing for the great
assault.

14. At the appointed hour, covered by the darkness of a moonless night, the Moors suddenly fell
upon the farm like rapacious, bloodthirsty birds of prey. And to his ears rang the ruthless cry of
Abu:
- To them comrades! To them! Let not one be alive!
But the young, rancorous, and violent Abu was foolish, thinking that those on the farm would not
resist him. Although the crew fled in disgrace, miserably frightened, the old captain and his
daughter were not intimidated.
In view of the danger that surrounded them, the father passed one of his best weapons to the
young woman and shouted to him with all the strength of his despair:
- Alda! Defend this entrance there! ... I will take care of this side!
In a flash of valor, the girl still managed to smile.
- Yes, my father! You can trust me! We will see if I am a good disciple of such a great master ...
Then, more tremulous, he added, as if in a murmur:

15. "This way, they cannot pass, as long as I have a breath of life ..."
And for some time, the assailants did not get the better and even accused some casualties. But
the number eventually won, and Abu and his men were able to force the fifth. But when they
wanted to gather the prisoners, they were amazed, amazed. Abu more than all of them ...
"Is it possible, madam?" You were alone, so were you.
Adamantly, Alda lifted his head and turned to the old captain, who seemed overwhelmed by the
displeasure of defeat and forced capitulation.
"Yes ... I did ... and you, my father!"
Abu looked slowly at everything around him-and how well it signaled the violence of the fight. A
sigh of incomprehension rose to his lips:
"Just the two of you ... against all of us?"
But the old captain, wishing to put an end to the humiliating situation, inquired, solemn and
determined:

16. "And now that you have defeated us ... what do you want from us?" Say it! Killing us, is not it?
Silence. Silence and expectation. In the two Christian prisoners and in the Moorish men. Slowly,
Abu ran his hand over his forehead, wiping away the sweat that swept over him.
- Lord, I do not know what to answer you ... I feel confused, I confess ... I did not expect this
result ... I always thought to win a group like mine, a group that gave me the happiness of
revenge ... But so ... just ... just the two of you ...
He paused, searching for words. Feeling uneasy. And only a very intimate desire, a very sincere
prayer, came to his mind:
- May Allah enlighten me! ... Allah is mighty and Muhammad his prophet.
Perhaps no one understood him at that moment. The companions turned to him. Intrigued.
Perplexed. Then where was this ardent Abu who cried for vengeance with loud cries? Would it be
the same thing that now stands, apathetic, abstract? ...

17. And the old captain did not understand. He even thought he was abusing his authority to prolong
the martyrdom and humiliation of the vanquished. For this very reason, he took a few steps,
dragging his daughter with him.
"What do you expect, then?"
And looking straight ahead, in an extreme challenge, he cried out in his face:
"Come, satiate your revenge, while it's time! ... Then believe it, then it will be late!"
It was Abu's turn to seem to wake up. A deep wrinkle dug between his eyes.
- Why do you say that, sir?
The old captain, feeling himself gain ground (terrain and time), superbly crossed arms, in a new
attitude of defiance.
"Because I have known your hatred, Abu, for a long time now!" I tell you more: I knew you would
end up robbing my farm!

18. A faint smile spread across the face of the young Moorish chief. This time, yes, a smile of
disdain, of silly mockery.
"Then if you knew this, why did you not run away in time with your servants?
But the mocking smile vanished from his lips at the immediate and vigorous response of the old
captain:
"A Portuguese gentleman never runs, sir!" Die in your post when you have to die!
Again, silence fell on them. Abu did not look at his companions again. He addressed himself only
to his two prisoners:
- You're right! Now I understand the difference that exists between you and some of my brethren
of race, these traitors who have chosen to give themselves up to defend themselves!
He then stepped back, as if to prepare the retreat, and proclaimed in a superior tone, which did
not admit a reply:

19. - I'm going to set you free. To you and to your daughter. I have never seen in my life such a
great beauty allied with such great valor!
Alda was the only one who dared to speak.
- Abu ... Sir ... What do you say?
Abu smiled, looking at her tenderly. And in a sweet voice, as if there were no one besides them
two, he accentuated slowly.
- I say that you are free ... I do not know why I do this ... It is perhaps a force superior to my
own will!
And leaning toward her, completely oblivious of the rest, she asked, in a breath of voice,
"Do you have a witch in your gaze?"
But the question was put on hold because at the same moment there was a great crowd of
horses on the road. The companions of Abu soon looked at each other in they sought their

20. weapons. The old captain ran to embrace the young Alda, and his voice came out splattered
with tears.
"God be praised, my dear daughter! ... It is certainly Don Paio Peres Correia and his knights of
Sant'Iago!
She let out a sigh of emotion.
"Thank you, my God!" Someone warned D. Paio that we were in danger!
But the new situation gave a complete twist in Abu's mood. One moment he changed. And he
was again the leader of the band, thirsting for blood and vengeance.
- Silence! If you want to spare your life still, be still and silent!
And turning to his companions, he charged them with fury,
"Try to show these Christian dogs that they cannot do anything against us!" Let's give them a
lesson for life!

21. We can believe that this meeting between the Moors and the Portuguese must have been
violent, brutal. This struggle of life or death between Abu's companions and the knighthood of
the famous D. Paio Peres Correia, master of the Order of Sant'Iago. This clash of honor and
bravery, in which all fighters wanted to impose their superiority.
But D. Paio Peres Correia, according to history and legend, was always a man of prodigies. In an
acrobatic leap, he thrust his shoulders into the front door, shattering it completely and popping
up among the surprised foes.
But the first exclamation of the celebrated warrior was one of surprised admiration before the
young Alda.
"My God, what do I see!" Who are you, madam? ... The very Virgin of the Annunciation? ...
He looked at her better, smiled, and bowed respectfully.
"Yes, you are the Virgin, surely!"

22. But soon, in a burst of audacity, he turned to the Moors who stared at him, stranded with
astonishment.
- And you cowards, who are trapped there, come to me!
Before they could react, Don Paio Peres Correia had thrown himself on them with a sword.
- You are weak! ... So do not hold out for long, that's not it!
In fact, in a few moments he was absolutely master of the land. The Moors, or were dying, or
had fled-to fall into the hands of the Portuguese warriors, who, feeling victorious, lifted up their
triumphant cry:
- By Sant'Iago! By Sant'Iago!
In front of D. Paio Peres Correia - and still alive and fearless, though exhausted - was only young
Abu.
The master of the Order of Sant'Iago made a slight pause this time before attacking.
"So you're the boss of this bunch of flounder?"

23. Abu bit his lips until he made blood. And he responded haughtily without losing sight of any
movement of the adversary:
- Yeah ... I'm a chicken like them. But I'm not afraid of Gauls like you! ...
Words were not spoken, and D. Paio Peres Correia gave him the first impetuous blow.
- Well, defend yourself ... if you can!
And Abu was able to defend himself, in fact, for a few brief moments. But the strength and skill
of D. Paio Peres Correia quickly dictated victory. In a skillful turnaround, he lifted the spear out
of Abu's hands, throwing him to the ground.
- There, heretic! Well, you can pray for your soul!
However, when he raised his sword to give the final blow, he felt his arm stuck and heard, even
close to him, a beautiful voice that pleaded:
- Sir! Sir! Pity! I beg you! ...
He paused. Then he looked more closely at the young woman. More time. More deeply.

24. "Ah, it is you ... to whom I have just called the Virgin of the Annunciation? ... Tell me, what do
you want, anyway?"
Alda's eyes flooded with tears. His voice trembled, though he tried to be sure.
- Mr. Paio Peres Correia ... This man whom you see, though a Moor, is noble and of a great heart
... he spared my life and the life of my father ... Therefore, I beg you: in exchange, save his life
too! I beseech you, Lord!
D. Paio Peres Correia was thoughtful. Around him the tumult had ended-an evident sign of total
triumph. Then he slowly turned his sharp gaze over the figures of the old captain, the young
Alda, and the Moor Abu, still lying at his feet. And then he spoke. He spoke as if he thought
aloud.
- Save the life of this unfortunate? ... And have a good pulse, the young man ... It was not me,
maybe I had not won ... It does not seem to me ungrateful ... You know that you owe me my
life! ... Beyond I begin to realize this ... these looks, these supplications, this fear ...
His voice took on a livelier tone as he addressed his defeated opponent.

25. - It's ok. Get up. I will save your life. On one condition: you have to convert! ... Do you accept
it?
Already standing, young Abu did not respond soon. His eyes first search Alda's eyes, which now
seemed more beautiful than ever. And then he answered.
- Yes accepted!
D. Paio Peres Correia's smile broke into laughter.
- I'll be your best man!
Alda blushed. Abu bowed his head. D. Paio Peres Correia laughed again. Joyful. Pleased.
Triumphant.
And as it has been told from generation to generation, according to the times, it is taken for
granted that the young Alda and the impetuous Abu, by love converted to the Christian.
they married right there in the large farm near Almada. And the godfather was, as promised, the
brave D. Paio Peres Correia, master of the Order of Sant'Iago, who did not fail to remember, by
the way:

26. "The first time I saw you, Alda, I called you Virgin of the Annunciation ... Remember?
He stressed with force:
- At this moment, you were undoubtedly the image of the Virgin herself who inspired and
protected me ... Therefore, I say: here must be erected a chapel in honor of Our Lady!
"If God will help me, I will, my lord, my lord!"
Excited, the old captain went forward too.
- Life we owe you, D. Paio Peres Correia ... Life and peace!
It was the young Alda's turn to smile.
"And love, too!"
The noble gentleman fighter lovingly tied the two newlyweds.
"You say well, friends ... Thank God and Sant'Iago ... and still the Virgin of the Annunciation ...
We returned to Mértola and we were able to help you ... And luckily, I won another great
companion in arms!

27. Abu raised his head proudly.
"I thank you, Mr. Paio Peres Correia ... I already knew your fame. Those who have told me that
you are the greatest knight of the Kingdom are not mistaken .... With you, I will go where I need
to!
The master of Sant'Iago pointed to the grounds around him.
- Listen. What is needed now is to make this farm the beginning of a beautiful and peaceful land
... a land to be proud of in the future, the Order of Sant'Iago!
- Oh, sir! ... For us, this land will always be the land of D. Paio Peres, because to you all we
owe!
And soon her young husband confirmed in a determined voice.
- That's right! The land of Paio Peres ... The man who saved my life!
Fonte Biblio MARQUES, Gentil Lendas de Portugal Lisboa, Círculo de Leitores, 1997 [1962] , p.Volume II, pp. 207-214
Place of collection Aldeia De Paio Pires, SEIXAL, SETÚBAL