Located on one of the hilltops of the Serra de Sintra, the Moorish Castle is a fortress built in around the 10th century after the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. The granite blocks of the Serra are ringed by two irregular-shaped walls, erected amid huge boulders and standing on the top of sheer cliffs. All along the paths encircling the castle, you can admire spectacular views over a unique landscape, with the town centre, the Palace of Sintra, the Palace of Pena and, stretching out beyond these, the vast plains to the north and the Atlantic Ocean.The present-day appearance of the Moorish Castle is the result of various building campaigns and events, most notably the work that was undertaken during the first dynasty, initiated by King Afonso Henriques after the capture of Lisbon and Santarém (1147) and continuing until the fortress was put to use in the reign of King Fernando I (1383); the damage caused by the earthquake of 1755; the restoration work carried out by King Ferdinand II in the 19th century, in the romantic style of that period; and the various interventions made by the General Directorate for Buildings and National Monuments in the 20th century. The castle did not undergo any major alterations until an overall regeneration project for the area, entitled “Conquering the Castle” (À Conquista do Castelo), was implemented by Parques de Sintra-Monte da Lua.