"Old Leiria - UNDER CONSTRUCTION" a Leiria Travel Page by salinhopt

Leiria grew upon the slopes around the castle and was the home of many civilisations including the Romans, Visigoths and Arabs. With the Christian faith firmly implanted and the expansion of the kingdom, King Afonso Henriques took the castle from the Moors in 1135. The last attack on the Moors happened in 1195, but the town continued to live within the castle walls until the thirteenth century, wi h the exception of São Pedro’s Church, built in Roman style, founded in 1176 near the castle's gates.

It was in the king Dinis' reign that the town spread down the slopes of the hill to the banks of the River Lis, through squares and fifteenth century streets, made famous for its Medieval fairs and the age-old energy of local inhabitants. At night, the Cândido dos Reis Square (old part of the town) filles up with people that come to the well-known Terreiro, to enjoy themselves in local pubs that give life to the old part of town.