Perhaps the most attractive of all the fortified Portuguese borderland towns, Almeida
is surrounded by a bizarre wilderness of plains pelted with boulders. Roughly 22 kms SE of Pinhel, the town is contained within star-shaped fortifications and is a beautifully preserved Vaubanesque stronghold. It was designed by the Dutch Jesuit, Cosmander in the form of a 12-pointed star. The original three gateways are Almeida's most splendid feature - long shellproof tunnels with emblazoned entrances.
Town Website: http://www.cm-almeida.pt/Paginas/default.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almeida,_Portugal
(stub only)
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almeida_(Portugal)
(Portuguese)
Baedeker Spain and Portugal 1913 p548 – minimal reference
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