Established in the 12th Century, after a careful choice of location, it had the purpose of being head of the Order of the Temple and to consolidate the ownership of reconquered, but not safe, territories. Two notable strategists studied the subject - D. Afonso Enriques and Gualdim Pais, 2º Master of the Order of the Temple – fellow soldiers and friends.

The Castle had also the purpose to defend the old roman road from Santarém to Coimbra and to avoid the possible passages of the Tagus River by Mussulmans, which constituted immediate threats to Santarém and Lisbon.

To the construction of the Castle, many rocks of the city-deceased of Além Ponte, a Roman Sellium, in the edge border of Nabão River, were used.

This castle discloses the most advanced military architecture of the time, the one that was carried through in the Holy Land, brought by Gualdim Pais and other Templar Knights - two braces of walls, the joint of round towers and cubicles, resemblances of doors in walls, the wonderful Charola inspired by the Temple of Jerusalem.

In 1190, with intention to retake Silves, the emir of Morocco, in command of a great army, increased by troops of the Andalusian Kings, surrounded a great square in Algarve and advanced northward, crossed Tagus River, surrounded Santarém with King D. Sancho I inside, destroyed Torres Novas and Abrantes and was determined to make the same to Tomar. Although, at the end of six days the Templars kept the castle unbeaten, where the population took refuge, and caused tremendous decreases to the Moors, mainly when these forced the south door and thousands entered in the exterior fence. In one immediate counterattack the Christians had repelled the Islamites with such impetus that the door of the assault and of the escape of the enemies passed to be known as Door of the Blood.

They had gone away, but before they destroyed the village.

Later the Order of the Templars gave origin to the Order of Christ who would come to be extinct in 1834; this rare work of art was latter transformed into lease houses, corrals, refuge of thieves. Of the precious filling we still don't know anything.