Monuments

The castle and the city walls were built by King Dom Sancho I (1185-1211), the king responsible for the Christian Reconquest in this part of Portugal. The walls were later reinforced by King Dom Dinis (1279-1325).

There were five turreted entrance gates, but only a few remnants of these still exist, mainly in Calçada de Santa Cruz, Rua do Norte, Rua António Augusto de Aguiar and Rua João de Almeida. One of the Castle's turrets was used in the construction of the Paços do Castelo building, which stands as a physical reminder of Covilhã's historical importance as an administrative centre throughout history.

The disappearance of the castle and the walls was due mainly to the city's development and to the fact that their stones were used in the building of the Royal Cloth Factory. They were appropriated by decree of the Marquis of Pombal in 1769, following the castle's destruction by the 1755 earthquake.