[2] The hilltop of the powerful Terra de Faria, has been associated with a local myth of its role in the revolt of the counts of Portucale against Theresa, Countess of Portugal, who directed the Battle of São Mamede (1128) and ascension to the throne of Afonso Henriques.

[1] In 1400, King John I donated the castle to D. Gonçalo Telles de Meneses, who ordered the erection of his Fleur-de-lis coat-of-arms (which became the emblem of the Counts of Faria).

[2] Yet, the castle still retains the honor of the most comprehensive treasurer of nationalist artifacts from Middle Ages: belt buckles, helts, and swords, chain-mail and armaments were salvaged from the ruined fortress.

[3] Also from the site was a batch of coins from the reign of King Ferdinand,[4] while doubt still plagues the Tomb of Faria, from excavations by Carla Varela Fernandes, in 2001-2002, and Carlos Alberto Ferreira de Almeida (1990), which had been brought from the castle.

[1][2] Reconstruction of the walls and tower keep began in 1939, that included closing hashes in the structure, cleaning of the cornices, and the removal of materials and debris from the works.

[1] The castle is situated in a rural environment, located on a steep and rocky hillside on the northwestern flank of the Monte da Franqueira, covered in dense pines, in a commanding position over the Cávado River.