O "Castelo do Germanelo" localiza-se na freguesia de União das Freguesias de São Miguel, Santa Eufémia e Rabaçal, concelho de Penela, distrito de Coimbra, em Portugal.
Em posição dominante no alto de uma colina nos arredores de Coimbra, a curta distância de Penela, tal como outros castelos da região - Penela, Soure e Lousã -, integrava a rede afonsina de fortificações de defesa das terras de Coimbra, então capital do reino, pela linha do rio Mondego, das frequentes razias dos muçulmanos na região ("Crónica dos Godos", sécs. XII-XIII). Em nossos dias integra a "Rede de Castelos e Muralhas do Mondego".
História
Antecedentes
Acredita-se que a primitiva ocupação de seu sítio se deva a um castro romanizado.
O castelo medieval
D. Afonso Henriques, futuro Afonso I de Portugal (1143-1185), criou o concelho de Germanelo e outorgou-lhe carta de foral (1142), na qual determinava que, além dos seus habitantes serem livres de impostos, concedia paz, perdão e isenção de justiça a todos quantos tivessem cometido crimes de homicídio, de furto, ou de qualquer outro tipo de perturbação pública, sob a condição de se refugiarem nas terras do Germanelo, de as cultivarem e de as defenderem dos ataques dos inimigos. Datará deste período a construção ou reconstrução do castelo, implantado para servir de posto avançado da segurança no trajeto Ansião-Condeixa, através do vale do rio Rabaçal.
A partir da conquista de Santarém (1147) e o avanço das fronteiras para o sul, o castelo perdeu a sua função estratégica, assim como o seu concelho, criado para atrair povoadores. O castelo entra em decadência, vindo a ser abandonado no século XIV, e o concelho extinto.
Do século XX aos nossos dias
Na passagem da década de 1930 para a de 1940, as ruínas do castelo foram adquiridas pelo professor Salvador Dias Arnaut (1913-1995), medievalista e docente da Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Coimbra, que entretanto descobrira documentos no Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo (ANTT) relativos a D. Afonso Henriques, com a descrição do imóvel. É da sua iniciativa a reconstrução do troço da muralha voltada a norte, após um estudo aprofundado dos testemunhos escritos ainda existentes, a que se somaram estudos geológicos e arqueológicos no local. Foram utilizadas pedras originais que se encontravam dispersas no local. Na década de 1970 tiveram lugar escavações arqueológicas conduzidas nomeadamente por José Manuel Bairrão Oleiro, e que permitiram localizar as antigas portas, a cisterna, fundações de edificações localizadas na praça de armas, o local da lareira, e os socalcos que completavam a defesa.
Com o falecimento de Dias Arnaut (1995) os direitos sobre o imóvel foram herdados por seu filho, Salvador Jorge Arnaut, que, no ano de 2000, efetuou uma tentativa de venda do castelo à Câmara Municipal de Penela por 20.000 contos, oferta recusada para não alimentar especulações imobiliárias. Entre julho e agosto do mesmo ano (2000) o castelo foi colocado à venda ao público através de anúncio na revista Casas de Portugal, tendo sido alegadamente vendido por 25.000 contos. A mobilização popular resultante, levou a que a Câmara Municipal, à época, solicitasse ao Instituto Português do Património Arquitectónico (IPPAR) a classificação do mesmo como imóvel de Valor Concelhio, classificação que reforçaria restrições já impostas pelo PDM, visando preservar o seu interesse cultural, evitando a especulação imobiliária e a utilização do castelo para fins turísticos ou habitacionais bem como a alteração do seu carácter estrutural e espacial.
Desse modo, data de 29 de maio de 2003 o Despacho de homologação de classificação do castelo como Imóvel de Interesse Público. Encontra-se classificado como Sítio de Interesse Público, pela Portaria n.º 203/2014, publicada no Diário da República, II Série, n.º 51, de 13 de março de 2014.
Atualmente o castelo é gerido pelo Município de Penela, por protocolo de cedência realizado com descendentes do Prof. Doutor Salvador Dias Arnaut.
Características
Exemplar de arquitetura militar, românica, de enquadramento rural, isolado no cimo de um monte a leste do Rabaçal, a 367 metros acima do nível do mar, envolvido por mata. Possui ampla vista panorâmica sobre a região envolvente, de largos vales, onde se destaca uma elevação gémea, o Jerumelo, a sul.
Apresenta planta irregular em forma de triângulo, de faces e vértices arredondados, o troço da muralha norte reconstruído com 17 ameias; as restantes, completamente em ruínas, não sobem em alguns pontos acima do nível do solo, mantendo noutros uma elevação média. Em seus muros implanta-se um marco geodésico.
No interior do recinto, ao flanco leste, abre-se um poço redondo. Troços de alicerces indicam partes das primitivas construções internas.
O conjunto ocupa uma área de 80.000 metros quadrados.
A lenda dos Germanelos
A história do castelo liga-se a uma antiga lenda, segundo a qual havia dois irmãos ("germanelos" = gémeos) gigantes, ferreiros, que viviam cada um no seu monte, um no Melo, a norte, e outro no Jerumelo, a sul. Como só dispunham de um único martelo, partilhavam-no entre si, afirmando-se que, nas redondezas escutar-se-ia com frequência os dois ferreiros a comunicarem entre si -“Germanelo passa para cá o martelo” e em contraposição - “Jerumelo, atira para cá outra vez o malho”.
Certo dia, Jerumelo zangou-se com o irmão e atirou-lhe o martelo com tanta força que este se desconjuntou, caindo o ferro na encosta do monte Melo, fazendo brotar uma fonte de águas férreas onde surgiu a povoação da Fartosa (em 1160 Ferratosa e, em 1420, Ferretosa). O cabo de madeira de zambujo, mais leve, foi espetar-se numa terra a 2 quilómetros de distância, fazendo nascer um zambujo, originando o nome da povoação de Zambujal.
Help
Fortification Visualization |
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• On fortification’s view page there are fortification name, its location (City, State, Country, Continent) and all other available data about it.
• First, you will see a window with a main text that contains the fortification’s history and other information about its project and construction, its buildings, works and other interventions all over the years, information about armaments and troops, interventions of archaeology, information about legal protection, relevant historical facts associated to this fortification and other information you think it is important. • Below text window, there is the Medias box: Interactive Map, Videos, Images, panoramics and CAD Designs. Click on border of the Media you want to view available content miniatures. Below, in this Help text, you can read about navigating between every different medias. Click on miniature to view it full size. This media is viewed at the same window that previously had the main text. Medias Box – Interactive Map: o An Interactive Map shows the fortification’s localization visualized by a satellite image. It is not a static picture but a dynamic one, which works with a Google MAP technology. You can go next and go back through the map with it, zoom in and zoom out, and view satellite pictures. o Click on correspondent border in medias box and on the link “Click here to view the Interactive Map of this fortification’s localization". o The Interactive Map shows viewed fortification’s geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude). There are three navigation ways: Map, Satellite and Hybrid. Use navigation commands to navigate through the map, moving to any direction you want. Still, you are able to move through the map by dragging cursor with left mouse button, always pressing it. o Click on “Return to text” option to close the map and go back to main fortification text. Medias Box – Vídeos: o To open videos, click on the correspondent border in medias box in order to load the miniatures with available files about this fortification. Use horizontal roll bar to show all available videos. o Click on video miniatures you want in order to load available information about it – they are showed at the same window which previously had the main text. o At the view window there are: video title, your identification number (ID), a description about its content, video credits, date of realization and user name who registered the file – can be fortification’s tutor or other contributor user (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access available information about this user. o Beside these information, there is a frame icon with the file size (Kb). Click on frame icon to open and watch it. o On the base of the visualization’s window, you can access other available videos with Previous and Next commands. Between the two commands there are the total of available videos and the number of the video that you are watching. o Click on “Return to text” option in order to close the visualization window of videos and to go back to fortification main text. • Medias Box - Images: o To open Images (pictures, old iconographies: plans and maps), click on corresponding border in medias box, in order to load miniatures of available files about the fortification. Miniature images are the first to appear available in medias box when you access fortification page at the first time. Click on a miniature to visualize it bigger. The bigger image is visualized on the same window that was occupied by the main text. o When accessing images, first you will see only four miniatures, and beside, there is the number of available images about the fortification. o Click on Show All link to view the total of miniatures. o Use horizontal roll bar to show all available images and click on the miniature you want to load with its available information. o Click on Search link (Images border or miniatures box) to open a selective consult images form . o On Search Form for images it is possible to search for the identification number (ID); image classification category; key-word of image description; any word which is in image credits; the year of image realization, in this case, with the option of searching for a specific date or looking for images from before or after a specific date. o On visualization window, there are not only the image but: its title, its classification category, its identification number (ID), a description about its content, its realization date and credits, name of the user who registered it (publisher), can be fortification tutor or other contributor (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access his available information. o Click on image, on visualization area, to open the original file on other window of your Web Browser, usually it is in a bigger size, with a better visualization. You can get the same result by clicking on " See image at original size" link. o Below visualization window, Previous and Next commands allow to access other available images. Between the two commands there are the total of available images and the number of the image that is being showed at the moment. o Click "Auto" to select this item option, going next automatically to an image from other. o Only for the users who are connected to fortalezas.org Website (logged in the restrict edition area), it is available an Edition option, with which the register Tutor can go straight to edition area in order to change registered data. o On top of page, the print icon opens a new window of your Web Browser, where you can print the page content that you are viewing. o Click on “Return to text” option and close the visualization window to go back to main text. • Medias Box - Panoramic: o To open Panoramic (photographic panorama in 360 degrees), click on corresponding border in medias box, in order to load miniatures of available files about the fortification. Use horizontal roll bar to show all Panoramic available. o Click on panoramic miniature wanted to load its available information which are at the same window previously busy by the main text. o On visualization window, there are not only the image but: its title, its classification category, its identification number (ID), a description about its content, its realization date and credits, name of the user who registered it (publisher), can be fortification tutor or other contributor (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access his available information. Beside these information, there is a frame icon with the file size (KB). o Click on this frame to open it and see the panoramic. o Below visualization window, Previous and Next commands allow to access other available images. Between the two commands there are the total of available images and the number of the panoramic that is being showed at the moment. o Click on “Return to text” option and close the visualization window to go back to main text. • Medias Box – CAD Design: o To open CAD Design (DWG format of CAD file, as graphic survey registers, restoration projects etc), click on correspondent border in medias box, in order to load miniatures with available files about a fortification viewed. Use the horizontal roll bar to show all available CAD files. o Click on miniature wanted to load its available information which are at the same window previously busy by the main text. o On visualization window, there are: CAD Design title, its identification number (ID), a description about its content, design’s author credits, realization date, name of the user who registered it (publisher), can be fortification tutor or other contributor (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access his available information. o Beside these information, there is a frame icon with the file size (KB). Click on frame icon to open and view the design (you must have Autocad installed in your computer or other software of DWG file visualization). o Below visualization window, Previous and Next commands allow to access other available designs. Between the two commands there are the total of available designs and the design number that is being showed at the moment. o Click on “Return to text” option and close the visualization window to go back to main text. • Below medias box, there are many inquiries with parameterized data about this fortification: Recent name, Other denominations, Type, Year of beginning etc. Parameterized data are those with which is possible to do researches on fortifications Search page. Researches can be done with each inquiry individually or by a combination of inquiries. • In “Project Author” and “Began in the governor of” is available a link to access the historical Character data listed there, forwarding to a section of fortalezas.org Website Characters. After this, use “Back” command and return to fortification visualization page. • Below parameterized data box there is an entitle box: Related Characters, where there are listed the name and the nationality (with an image) of historical characters related to the viewed fortification. Click on a name to view its information, forwarding to fortalezas.org Website Characters page. After this, use “Back” command and return to fortification visualization page. • Below related Characters box there is an entitled box: Related Bibliographies, where there are listed title, author and type (with an image) of those bibliographies related to the viewed fortification. Click on title to view its informations, forwarding to fortalezas.org Website Bibliographies page. After this, use “Back” Navigator command and return to fortification visualization page. • Below related Bibliographies box there is an entitled box: Related Links, where there are listed title, synopsis and websites (Links) internet address (URL) that are related to the viewed fortification. Click on link’s title or address forwarding to its website, that will be open in a new window. • Below Link box there is an entitled box: Related texts, where there are listed title, author and text summary posted in Forum section and which are related to the viewed fortification. Click on title to view its information, forwarding to fortalezas.org Website Characters page. After this, use “Back” command and return to fortification visualization page. • On top and base of page, the system informs the total results (registers), between parenthesis, and the number of the register that is being viewed. • On top and base of page, there are also available the commands to go Next and to go Back, from a text to other, between the results (registers) found in the previous search. • On top and base of page, it is available the “Listing” link to go back to the page with the other results (registers) found in the last research. • Below related texts box, there is a “Contributions” table, where there is Item Tutor’s name, who is responsible for fortification register. Below its name, there are listed other users name that contributed to tutor in edition, revision or adding information about this fortification. • Beside Tutor name you can see the date of the last update of fortification’s data. Beside Contributor name is the date when he last contributed. • Below “Medias” sub item there are listed users that contributed to Tutor, adding a media to this fortification: image, video, panoramic or CAD Design. Beside user name, the number between parentheses informs the quantity of media files added by this user. • Click on Tutor name or those names which are contributors in order to view their available information. • Only for the users who are connected to fortalezas.org Website (logged in the restrict edition area), it is available an Edition option, which the register Tutor can change registered contents, and others users can contribute with an additional information about this fortification. • On top of page, the print icon opens a new window of your Web Browser, where it can be print all fortification content that you are viewing. In this print will be listed medias data without their images. To print it, see below, Medias Box – Images item. |