Little is known about the period of time before the Castle of Leiria was built. We know that King Afonso Henriques ordered the Castle to be built, since it was in a strategic position during the Christian Reconquest.
We also know that popular imagination knows no boundaries, and since the Castle stands on top of a hill, legend has it that this military fortification was actually built over a sleeping volcano, and this volcano – which has been sleeping for centuries – is heating the water of Fonte Quente. Fonte Quente is located near the Convent of St. Francis. There you have two fountains, the hot (Fonte Quente) and the cold fountain. The origin of this legend remains unknown.
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