Everywhere you stand in Lisbon, chances are that you can get a glimpse of Saint George Castle. It gloriously dominates the city, watching over it it and protecting it, like it has done for centuries.
A snapshot of history
Like so many other castles, Saint George Castle lived many lives and served many purposes. Saint George Castle oldest parts that remain today were probably built in the 6th century but before that, even the Romans had recognized the military value of the site.
Saint Georges Castle was for a time a Moorish residence, until King Afonso Henriques (12th Century), the first king of Portugal, took it to transform it into a royal palace. Until the 16th century, the castle was subject to numerous work campaigns and improvements. New towers here, new fortified walls there…
At last, by the turn of the 16th century, Saint George Castle, like so many other medieval castles in Europe, lost its importance. They weren’t fashionable anymore, and didn’t serve their purpose any longer.
The castle was transformed into a military barrack and a prison in the 17th century but the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 damaged it significantly and only the military hospital remained there for a little longer.
Fast forward past WWII to see the most extensive renovation campaigns which led to the present condition of the castle!
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Hope you are not too disappointed by such short summary. Saint George Castle fate is similar to the fate of most Medieval castle in Europe and I have written about them extensively already. I feel like I’m repeating myself and it makes me sad!
So instead of talking of the places, I’m taking you to, in general terms, I am now focusing on one (sometimes 2!) specificities of such place instead. Maybe you’ve noticed this already, maybe not.
With this piece of the Saint Georges Castle, there are 2 things I want to highlight. The first being about Saint George… obviously…
A castle dedicated to Saint George
In the late 14th century, Lisbon glorious castle was dedicated to Saint George by King John I. King John I had married the English princess Philippa of Lancaster and it so happened that Saint George had, by that time, been proclaimed patron Saint of England and protector of the English royal family.
The love and fascination for Saint George is nothing short in England with apparently more than 190 churches dedicated to him during the medieval period. However it’s important to note that such fascination wasn’t just in England. It was pretty much all over Europe and even Russia (Moscow coat of arms is Saint George!).
But who was Saint George?
Saint George is one of Christianity’s most popular saints to this day.
It all started with a legend, the Golden Legend. One well known version dates from 1260 but there are many variation, so I’ll cut it short and make it my own.
Once upon a time (!), the city of Silene was plagued by a venom-spewing dragon which was poisoning the countryside. The good people of Silene were making daily offering to the dragon to protect the city. A sheep, 2 sheep, a sheep & a man… Nothing seemed to work, so they started offering their own children, to appease the beast.
The children to be sacrificed were chosen by lottery, and one day the king’s daughter was drawn. He offered all his gold to spare her but nothing worked so the princess was sent to the dragon.
Saint George, who wasn’t a saint yet, just a soldier, arrived and vowed to save the princess. He wounded the dragon and used the princess’ girdle to drag the dragon back to the city. There Saint George offered a choice to the good people of Silene: Convert to Christianity and I will kill the dragon or die!
And so they did! Convert, of course! And where Saint George killed the beast, they erected a church where a spring flowed from its altar, with water that cured all diseases.
From this tale, Saint George was thereafter portrayed as a hero, the deliverer of prisoners, the protector of the poor, etc. etc. He became an example for noble young men, a model of virtue and bravery.
If you ask me, a really noble thing would have been for Saint George to kill the dragon without asking for anything in return. That’s just me I suppose…
Anyway, to this day, Saint George represents the victory of good over evil.
Saint George representation
Saint George is usually represented on a horseback, slaying a dragon.
He usually uses a spear to do so, but he also has a sword, of course.
The representation of Saint George with a shield with a red cross on a white back ground, now named a St George’s Cross, developed in the 14th century.
The dragon representation isn’t always straightforward. It can looks a bit like a fat snake sometimes (the snake being the garden of Eden’s evil representation!), a double or triple headed snake, a lizard and sometimes it is an easily recognizable dragon. It usually isn’t that big. We are used to Disney representation of huge dragons but Saint George representation shows dragons no bigger than Saint George’s horse. Dragons have probably mutated since the 12th century!
So why this dissertation on Saint George? Because, I realized that Saint George was often confused with another dragon slayer saint! Indeed, Saint Michael also slays dragons so how do you recognize them?
How to recognize Saint Michael and Saint George?
Both Saint Michael and Saint George are usually depicted slaying a dragon, so how do you recognize them!? It’s actually easy. The depiction of Saints was supposed to be easy, to be understood by the people who couldn’t read, so there are major differences in the representation of the 2 Saints.
Saint Michael is an archangel so he has wings!
Saint Michael is often depicted stepping on the beast or floating gracefully in the air as an angel would do. He may be killing the beast with his sword or a spear.
Saint George is a warrior so he has a horse!
Don’t let his flowing cape fool you, it is a cape, not wings. Saint George was a mere mortal so he had to find a mean of transport. As a warrior a horse was an obvious choice. And being on a horse, Saint George usually had to kill the beast with a spear. Yes, a sword would probably have been too short!
Every now and then, Saint George is represented without his horse. In such cases, his spears is the indication of who he is. When he still has his arm, of course…
Both Saint Michael and Saint George can have a halo around their head as they are both Saints. Saint George is the one who is depicted with the red cross on a shield, it is now called the Saint George cross after all.
See, I told you: easy!
This Saint George tale and the fascination for the value he is supposed to represent is absolutely fascinating to me. I hope you like it too.
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Now we are going to discuss a second specificities of the Saint George Castle….
The peacocks of Saint George castle!
When arriving in the ruins of the former palace, you will probably notice them immediately. There are peacocks everywhere on the ground, in the trees & on the roofs, especially around the cafe. There are ducks and other birds but the most intriguing ones are the peacocks!
I am afraid I can not actually tell you why there are peacocks gracefully roaming the grounds of the castle. I have not found a valid answer to this question, but I can tell you this is nothing short of an irony.
Peacocks in Medieval times
Peacocks are gorgeous birds that have always carried ethereal symbolism. Ancient Greeks believed them to be a symbol of immortality, while Christian saw in the eyes of their tail feathers a symbol of the all-seeing Christian God.
By extension, they became a representation of royalty and the guardians of Kings.
What do you do with your guardian when you are a royal, in Medieval times? You eat it of course! But in a royal and festive manner!
The peacock feast
Indeed, serving roasted peacocks in their feathers was popular in Medieval Europe.
It required special skills to prepare the bird and to cook it and it was sumptuously presented and of course reserved to royal feasts.
Peasants had to eat chicken or pheasants, royalty and alike ate peacocks and swans.
Apparently it’s not even good, just very dry but the presentation was everything. Gold leaves were often used to decorate the bird even further. It was served on the most beautiful gold or silver dishes…
How lovely!
The vow of the peacock
It probably took a turn for the worst, for the peacocks at least, when it became fashionable for knights to renew their vows of chivalry with the vow of the peacock.
Basically a feast was organized, with a roasted peacock as the center piece. The knights would each renew their vows to the (dead) bird, before eating it.
What’s wrong with this picture??!?
Nothing you answer. OK, well, personally I’m really glad we don’t need peacocks anymore, to do our yearly resolutions!
In any case, the irony of renewing their vows to a dead bird, representing the majesty of their king is nothing but lost!
And now, the irony of the safe peacocks roaming the ground of the Saint George Castle isn’t lost to you either!
To know before you go
Do check the official website https://castelodesaojorge.pt/en/ to plan your visit. The castle is open pretty late in summer and the sunset on the city is mesmerizing.
It is a steep walk to the castle entrance and once there, there are plenty of areas where it is best to watch your feet and congratulate yourself for your smart choice of footwear.
Yes you can take the tram, bus or tuck tuck to get to the castle.
Indeed I enjoyed having a drink on the castle grounds and watching the peacocks, slightly more than walking around the remains of the castle. Don’t judge me poorly, I’ve visited many, many castles, you know, so it takes a bit more than just fortified walls to turn my brain on. It was still a lovely & fun visit.
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