All along the Portuguese-Spanish border, tall castles cling to the steep hills, mountains and crags. Small villages trickle down the slopes below. As we drove thorough this area we wanted to visit each and every castle, but we soon realized that there were far too many. It would take a lifetime to visit each castle in this area.
The next three posts will highlight a few of these magnificent castles and their medieval towns and villages. First we’ll take you to the picture-perfect fortified towns of Monsanto and Marvão.
You can read about the other border cities in our posts: A Journey Through Elvas and Évora’s Rich Heritage; Beja, Mértola and Alcoutim.
Monsanto
As we walked between the homes in this medieval village, we could almost hear the voices from Monsanto’s past seep from their stone walls. The rustic homes on the sides of the cobblestone streets made us think we had stepped back in time.
This prominent hillside has been inhabited for thousands of years. It has been Portuguese since 1165 when King Afonso Henrique I conquered the Moors who were living here.
We wandered along the meandering lanes beside old stone cottages, homes and churches. Most are in excellent condition and have been restored to look their authentic selves. Flowerpots hang from the walls and in gardens which is probably a new, but lovely addition. As you can imagine, these streets are far too narrow for vehicles. This lack of modern traffic makes the village feel even more ancient.
The most unusual quirk of Monsanto is how the massive boulders are incorporated into the design of homes. Some use the boulders as walls, while others as roofs. There’s even a pigpen carved into a granite boulder. We almost expected Fred Flintstone to come walking out of one of the homes. Even if there wasn’t a castle on top of the hill, it would be worth a visit to explore this village.
The Portuguese king granted the land on the top of the hill to the Knights Templar to defend the land from Muslim Moors. The catholic military order of knights built a small castle on the site and part of Monsanto Castle (Castelo de Monsanto) still exists today. When you walk below the castle walls, you can see its improbable location on the edge of the steep mountain wall.
After exploring the castle, don’t return directly to the village, instead walk around the top of the hill to see some of the other ruins in this fascinating landscape. Some may be as old as the Romans, but most are 12th century Portuguese including Capela de São Miguel and its rock-cut graves.
From this vantage point on Monsanto Hill, we looked down to the rooftops of the medieval village.
Portuguese Good Luck Cocks
We saw a lot of roof ornaments, statues and paintings of roosters throughout Portugal. One of those was on the 14th-century Torre de Lucano (Lucan’s Tower) in Monsanto. It was in Monsanto that we finally learned the reason for the abundance of roosters. Legend says that in a Portuguese town near Braga, a man was accused of stealing. He claimed his innocence and said to the magistrate “As certain as I am innocent, a rooster will sing when they hang me!” He was found guilty and sentenced to death on the gallows. The next day as the man was being hung, a rooster began to cock-a-doodle-doo. The judge was startled and rushed to the gallows to save the man. Remarkably, the noose was poorly tied and the man was still alive. The magistrate had him released immediately. Because of this legend, the rooster has become a symbol of good luck in Portugal.
As we said above, there are a lot of hilltop castles and fortified towns in this part of Portugal. Here are a couple that we saw in the area around Monsanto and Marvão, but didn’t have time to visit.
Marvão
Set atop a long ridge, 800m above Server River, is the impressive Marvão Castle. One side is protected by a sheer wall. The other, by an only mildly less steep side that is home to a wonderful medieval village. From below it was difficult to distinguish the bulwark from the granite boulders; maybe that was part of its strategy.
The origins of this castle are a little different from others in the area. In the 9th century a short-lived dynasty reigned in this region. Ibn-Marúan, was muladi, an Iberian Peninsula native who converted to Islam. He led a few rebellions against Moors in Córdoba. At that time he established a small fortress on top of this quartzite crag. In the 12th century it was partially rebuilt by Portuguese rulers where its proximity to the Spanish border made it an important fortress.
Before visiting the castle you first need to penetrate the 16th century wall that surrounds the town. Today its not difficult as the gates are open, but you can imagine how it once kept invaders at bay. We entered through Porta de Rodão and walked along the cobblestone streets of the village.
The fortified town inside those walls still retains its medieval look. The streets run almost parallel to each other and are lined with old, whitewashed homes. Stairways and alleys link the streets and allow you to make your way up to the castle above.
Most of the homes have been lovingly restored and thankfully, haven’t let much of the modern world inside. As we got higher we could see how its hillside location adds even more charm to the old town.
At the top of the hill we could finally see the castle. In front of it is a lovely, large garden with manicured hedges and flower beds. It was quite unexpected to see such a lush garden on this rocky ridge.
Inside the castle, large open spaces are surrounded by a tall fortification wall. It is in excellent condition and you can walk along the wall to explore the many sentry posts and towers. The exposed narrow stairways and uneven steps make getting up to the top of wall a bit of a challenge though.
From the top of the Keep, main tower, the view of the surrounding Serra de São Mamede mountains is wonderful. We even spotted another castle on a neighbouring peak, not far away.
You can also climb to the top of Flag Tower at the front of the castle grounds. From there we looked down upon the fortified town and we could see how the castle walls are linked to the wall that surrounds the town.
Getting to Monsanto & Marvão
As you can see in the map below, Monsanto & Marvão are located very close to the Spanish border, but rather far from Portugal’s large cities. The easiest way to reach both of these cities is to drive. The highways in the area are usually single lane and travel though rural lands so the drive will take longer than you expect. The countryside is lovely though so take your time and enjoy the drive. If you need to travel to Monsanto by bus you will first need to get to the city of Castelo Branco. Marvão is a little easier to reach by bus as there are buses from Lisbon.
Where to stay when visiting Monsanto & Marvão
Both cities have bed & breakfasts and apartments located in their medieval villages. Staying in one makes a wonderful and unique experience. Otherwise there are also a few hotels located in the more modern part of Marvão.
To read more of our adventures in Portugal, click here.
Coming Next – Explore History in Elvas & Évora, Portugal
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