Research in Óbidos

The spouse and I took a mini holiday to Óbidos (Portugal), not only to chill out but to conduct research. Why? This is a genuine walled city from the High Middle Ages. 
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Realism in fantasy has its place, and I'm fortunate to live where touching the very stones of history is possible.  

​So what was it like? Read on. 

Óbidos (OH-bee-doosh) is protected from modern development by Portuguese law, mostly because it has a long history under its belt. The Celts settled there, then the Romans. In fact, the city's name is derived from the Latin oppidum which means "fortified city."

Then came the Visigoths and some other Germanic tribes. The Moors arrived in the 8th century, and finally the Portuguese in 1148. It was originally a port city until the 1100s, but the bay silted up and now it's landlocked. It was an ideal location to keep an eye on enemy troop movements because Portugal always had something going on with their neighbors. 

Seeing a mismash of centuries and architecture is common here, so it doesn't blow my mind like it did the first few times I encountered it. What Óbidos does have is one massive defensive wall that encompasses the entire (original) city. It was originally constructed in the 700s by the Moors, then added to over the centuries by subsequent inhabitants. It was damaged during the 1755 earthquake and then restored in the early 20th century.

Oh, and it has A CASTLE. It was remodeled in the 16th century and became a royal palace. Now it's a hotel, believe it or not. Which means we weren't allowed inside unless we were guests. That's fine, we got to walk behind the castle on the grounds where they hold their annual Medieval Faire (see photo above). The website is in Portuguese but you can check out the photos, which are wonderful. 
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You can actually climb up some lengthy stairs and wander along those city walls. It was really unnerving that the parapet has ZERO protection to keep you from falling -- no barriers, no rope, no nothing. Just like all those centuries ago.

Still, it's a breathtaking view. (see photo above with folks trudging along.) No, we didn't go up there. I sincerely respect those who do. They apparently have better balance than I do.
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This was a great opportunity to get a feel for a fortified city similar to the ones in my DragonFire fantasy series, in particular Ilspath and Kell. I purposely ignored the more touristy buildings and let me my mind slip back to what it would have been in the 12th century. The result was a relaxing vacation and an even better understanding of a medieval town. 

​ONWARD!
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