| Ph - Rw
:
Portugal
|
Last Updated: Nov 6th, 2006 - 10:50:18 |
Portugal - Castles Tour: The Fortified Plains of the Alentejo
The Alentejo is often described as a country within a country, due to its own history, dialect, and outlook on life. It is the cleanest and most welcoming province of Portugal. And, with its open plains and hilltop villages, it is the most haunting. Every imaginable sport from horseback riding to hiking is found in the Alentejo, and the local cuisine is an imaginative combination of bread and local ingredients. Roads are often flat and straight, and empty distances can separate towns and services in this most sparsely populated section of Portugal. The flat landscape meant that many castles were built in the Alentejo, and most towns are still inside their ancient walls. The history of the province is immense, and the charm and flavor lure the visitor back time and again.
Where to Stay:
Évora - While the Pousada dos Loios is a wonderful place to stay in this magnificent walled city, there is a real jewel only a mile away in the Casa de Monfalim. This small but elegant hotel is a quick walk to all the city’s wonders. But, beware of the tiny streets and winding allies. Big vehicles are best parked outside the city walls in designated lots.
Pousadas in Castles - If you are hoping to stay in a medieval castle, then the Alentejo is the place to be. The best castle Pousadas are found in Évora, capital of the Alentejo, Estremoz, in the royal palace, Alvito, in a charming fortified palace, and Flor de Rosa, in the walled monastery of the fighting monks of the order of Crato. Other historic Pousadas may be found in the castle rich towns of Serpa, Beja, Santiago do Cacém, and Elvas.
What to See: North to South
Marvão (EN256) - At first examination the castle of Marvão appears to be floating in the sky. At 865 meters, it dominates the surrounding countryside for miles. Why anyone would be foolish enough to attack the site seems beyond reason. Popular history tells us that Marvan, a Moorish king of Coimbra ordered the mountaintop to be fortified and settled in the 8th century. There must have been some earlier fort on the high peak, but it is lost to history.
By the 1160s, D. Afonso Henriques had taken the town for Portugal, and by the 13th century the castle, a mere 8 kilometers from Spain, had become the key to the upper Alentejo. D. Dinis I completely rebuilt the town walls and vast castle. And, after Portugal regained its independence from Spain in 1640, the castle was transformed into a gun fort. Then, for more than 20 years the Spanish attempted to take the town, but were met with constant failure. By 1664 they had given up, and Portugal was free. But, the Spanish would try and fail time and time again for two centuries to enter Marvão’s walls. And, in 1808 even the mighty French army failed to conquer the heights of Marvão. It last saw fighting in the 1830s Civil War.
What remains for us today is nothing short of amazing. The soaring village, still in its walls, and the rambling castle, so often victorious over anyone foolhardy enough to try to humble it. The views from the ramparts are vast and endless, with every major mountain range in southern and central Portugal visible on a clear day. The walls wrap one line on another, mixing the medieval and the post medieval. Gothic portals mix with 17th century gun posts and the 13th century keep still presides over the charming town. If Portugal owes the independence to any one place it is to the village of Marvão and the soldiers who made it impregnable.
Évora Monte (IP2/EN18) - From the yellow plains to the south, Évora Monte appears like a giant cake in the distance. The massive castle keep looks even bigger, with its four giant round towers bulging out. The hilltop that makes up the village of Évora Monte has seen human habitation since 8,000 B.C. In 1160 A.D., the Portuguese knight, Geraldo Geraldes, or Geraldo the Fearless, took the town from the Moors. The young Portuguese nation set out to build an impressive line of defensive walls to protect Évora Monte against falling back to the Moors, or the Castilians. The castle was heavily reconstructed in the 1530s, after an earthquake caused significant damage.
What emerged was a palace-like castle, with great halls, decorative Manueline stone knots, and fanciful towers. The people of the small town would rise up against the occupying French army in 1808 to throw them out of their town. The small town became a part of history again in 1834 when the Portuguese Civil War came to an end in a small house within the town’s walls. D. Miguel ended his attempt to usurp the throne and surrendered to his brother, D. Pedro IV. Today, a bit over-restored, the proud castle and its 900 neighbors living in ancient houses are a living museum.
Monsaraz (7 km north of EN256) - Lost in the clouds, and lost in time, Monsaraz hovers over the Guadiana River valley and numerous pre-historic sites. The view from the top of the keep is amazing, and the ship-like village enclosed in well-preserved walls is rich in character and charm. Monsaraz is one of the most charming and well-preserved villages in Portugal. High on its hill, well within its walls, the village of Monsaraz has some amazing relics of other days.
Just a few miles from Spain, the mighty castle has seen more than its share of fighting. In 1167 it was taken from the Moors, and given to the Templars for safekeeping. Every generation brought upgrades and expansion of the castle walls. It was sacked by English archers, supposedly allies of Portuguese king D. Fernando in his war against the Spanish. Monsaraz then fell to Spain in the 1380s, but was liberated by Nuno Álvares Pereira. By the 17th century fortifications had made the hilltop castle more defendable, but as time moved forward, Monsaraz stayed behind. Monsaraz fortifications date back to the 14th century, with many reconstructions following as the boarder town was involved in the constant fighting that followed between Portugal and Spain.
Today, the lines of walls from various centuries guard over the olive and cork orchards. The Rua Direita offers fine old houses with wrought iron balconies. Monsaraz’s many monuments include an 18th century pillory, a 16th century hospital, a medieval hall of justice with magnificent frescoes, and a fine village church. The semi-ruined castle now doubles as a bullring for local festivals. It is a window to a past age.
Beja (IP2) - It would be hard to find a higher or prouder tower than that of the castle of Beja. The town was an important Roman outpost called Pax Julia, and it served as a county seat in ancient Roman Lusitania. With its capture by the Moors in 713, Beja flourished as an intellectual center. But, the walls grew stronger as the constant political bicker between local Moorish Califs led to the city’s final capitulation to a Portuguese army of common people and untitled knights in 1162.
The first order of business was to rebuild the shattered defenses, and the walls now served as the southern-most border against the Moors. Perhaps because of its importance as a southern outpost, or in honor of its rich past, but Portugal’s kings set to build unequalled churches and fortifications in Beja throughout the medieval period. In 1307 the king, D. Dinis I ordered a towering keep to be built with an impressive balcony, and all defended by elegant pointed castellated walls. The castle saw action again, as the town revolted against the Spanish in the 1580s, and again with a bloody popular revolt against the occupying French in 1808, and once again during the 1830s Civil War.
Much remains of the great castle, and the well-preserved tower is seen well in the distance. Inside the great keep are three elegant Gothic chambers with high vaulted ceilings. To climb to the top, one must contend with 183 steps in a circular staircase. Many vestiges of earlier forts are found in the castle walls. Old stonework is clearly seen integrated into the keep, and a Roman arch and tower are still found in the barbican.
Mértola (EN122) - Isolated and remote, Mértola surprises the visitor with its rich heritage and amazing position. Once known as Myrtillis Romana, the place flourished in the days of the Romans. Its vast walls were not enough to save the town from the Barbarian onslaught that ended Roman rule of the Iberian Peninsula. But, the 8th century arrival of the Moors brought a new period of prosperity. In 1238 the Portuguese king Dom Sancho II took the castle and handed it over to the Order of St. James. By 1300 a new castle had risen from the ruins of the old. The walls remained in constant reconstruction with Spain just across the river.
Today, Mértola is an archaeological jewel, with excavations revealing remains from the town’s many rulers of the past 2000 years. Inside its walls thrives a beautiful town, rich in simple houses, old cannons, and flowers. The vast cistern and castle keep are testaments to the town’s bellicose past. It also boasts the only still-standing Moorish mosque in Portugal. The square mosque, now a church, is a unique example of the lost riches of Moorish Portugal.
Jayme Henriques Simões, President of Louis Karno & Company, and
frequent visitor to Portugal.
Jayme is the current president of the Public Relations Society of America
Yankee Chapter, and is the 2003 recipient of the Union Leader¹s ³40 Under 40
Award,² which honors New Hampshire¹s outstanding young professionals. Simões
founded the agency in 1999, using capital from a 90-year-old, family-run
business. A Chicago native who graduated with honors from Boston University
with a degree in Communications and Public Relations, Simões speaks
Portuguese and Spanish.
He has served on several not-for-profit boards, including the Hillsborough
Historical Society (president 1995-1996), New Hampshire Lodging and
Restaurant Association (1997), Citizens for Land and Community Heritage
(1999), The New Hampshire Travel Council (2000-present), Dartmouth Hitchcock
Medical Center Assembly of Overseers (2004-present), and he was the
chairperson of The Franklin Pierce Bicentennial Commission.
© Copyright
2006 by Classbrain.com
Keywords: Portugal, Castles Tour, The Fortified Plains of the Alentejo, Portugal castles, castles of Portugal, castles, castle, Évora, Pousadas in Castles, Marvão, Évora Monte, Monsaraz, Beja, Mértola, Country reports, country info, ClassBrain
Top of Page
|
