Visiting Monsanto – First visit

Located in Castelo Branco district, and close to Idanha-a-Nova and Termas de Monfortinho, Monsanto is a beautiful example of the traditional villages of inland Portugal, progressively abandoned by the migration of the populations to the coast.

Well preserved, without artificial additions or reconstructions, it has not much resources to fix visitors, that usually make a brief stop, in a circuit that includes several of the highlights of the area.

Once said “The most Portuguese town of Portugal” Monsanto really deserves your visit. Lost in the progressively abandoned interior, close to the border, and in central Portugal, the site boosts splendorous views, and breaths authenticity in each stone.

​It’s a steep place and needs an effort to climb to the top but you won’t regret the effort.

The castle

If you feel in good condition you may accept the challenge of climbing to the castle.

It has nothing particularly relevant, but it obliges to walk along all the village, and reaching the top, it rewards you with some awesome sights. Someone said that Monsanto is the most Portuguese village of Portugal.

​I don’t know if it’s true, but tradition is honestly present everywhere, and coming down, you will feel like having lived something real.

S. Miguel chapel

Close to the castle there’s a ruined chapel. It was called St. Miguel chapel, and was built in Roman style at the end of the 12th century.

​The chapel is surrounded by a few graves carved in the rocks.

The village

I don’t know if it really is “the most Portuguese village of Portugal” as it is widely advertised. It leaves the sensation of a dead village, but I must admit that villages are dying in Portugal, so even that is “very Portuguese”.

Its visit is interesting, and even if you don’t dare the hard climbing to the castle, the visit of only the village will justify your trip.

​With luck, maybe you find someone, and if you do, you will confirm that locals are really gentle and welcoming, even without touristic business in mind.

It is the perfect entrance to a village where construction blends with rocks to compose a strange and powerful image.

Arch Sebastião

Integrated with “Espírito Santo” chapel, one of the doors got the chapel’s name, also called, I don’t know why, St. Sebastian arch.

​The chapel is from the 16th century, but the arch must be older, probably already with the saint’s name.

Misericórdia church

Well integrated in the village, close to its entrance, this mannerist church from the 15th century was modified in the 18th, and still shows the old gilded altar.

Tower Lucano

Also called the clock tower, for obvious reasons, this is the tallest building in the village, providing good views to those who don’t risk the hard climbing to the castle.

Atop of this 14th century tower, a silvery clock was the official prize for “the most Portuguese village of Portugal” award.

Fountain

As we enter the village, there’s a fountain that is seems to be used regularly.

​Well, standing so low, it should be hard to carry water uphill…

It’s a difficult compromise, to preserve the traditional look of the villages, and to give locals some comfort.

Nowhere I noticed a so remarkable presence of electric wires and TV antennas as in Monsanto.

​Couldn’t be otherwise?