its strategic importance and fell into abandon and ruined. This continued into the 17th century, when André da Silva Machado, a wealthy merchant from Porto decided to build a replica of the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Braga. In 1680, he obtained authorization to dismantle the old fortress to re-use the stones to build a sanctuary to the invocation of Our Lady of the Pillar. Working on demolishing the barbican and part of the walls, building within the enclosure the church, staircase and the pilgrim chapels, that became known as the Shrine of Our Lady of Pilar. By 1724, work on the sanctuary was still occurring. In a description by Craesbeeck in 1726, he substantiated that the walls were in a state of ruin. But, in the 1758 Memórias Paroquiais, there is an indication that the old castle was only survived by the tower keep. Between 1938 and 1939 there were excavations around the castle. At the same time work on reconstructing the structure was begun, that included reconstitution of two corbels; consolidation and reconstruction of the walls and gate; and restoration of the keep tower. Following similar excavations, there were repairs and consolidation to the remnants of the old foundations unearthed, including the partial reconstitution of the lines around the keep tower and exterior. Work on cleaning and landscaping around the mountain progressed, with the reconstruction of an access to the castle completed. Excavations around the remnants of the castro situated along the northeastern flank of the hilltop and work on the Church of the Nossa Senhora do Pilar sanctuary were also completed. Repairs were also undertaken in 1959, 1973, 1975 and 196; these include conservation; reconstruction of the access staircase to the tower; roofing the keep tower; and reconstruction of the gate. While in 1996, cleaning and consolidation of the exterior structures were carried out by employees of the municipal council and members of the Associação Adere-Lanhoso group, as well as the remodelling of the second-floor interiors. Although partially ruined, the Castle of Lanhoso is a popular attraction, receiving 100,000 visitors between 1996 and 2006. In addition to the castle (which offers a small exhibition), the shrine and castro are also important points of interest. Architecture The castle is situated in a rural landscape, isolated and implanted mount along a massif range called as Laje Grande, that divides the watersheds of the Cávado and Ave river systems. The