Monsaraz Castle

Monsaraz Castle

A village in the sky

High on a long ridge in the far eastern Alentejo, close to the Spanish border, the walled village of Monsaraz seems to float above the world. Its narrow streets of whitewashed, slate-roofed houses are gathered inside medieval walls, and at one end stands the castle, its keep looking out over an enormous sweep of country. Below, the waters of the great Alqueva reservoir — one of the largest artificial lakes in Europe — shine silver-blue toward the horizon. Few villages in Portugal enjoy so dramatic a view.

A frontier conquered and reconquered

Because of its commanding position, Monsaraz has been fought over since ancient times. It was an important Moorish stronghold, and in 1167 the Christian warrior Geraldo Sem Pavor — "Geraldo the Fearless" — captured it from the Moors. The frontier swung back and forth for years, but eventually Monsaraz became firmly Portuguese.

The Portuguese kings, knowing how vital this hilltop was for guarding the border with Castile, entrusted it for a time to the Knights Templar, the famous warrior monks. Later, King Dinis — the great castle-builder of around 1300 — strengthened the fortress with the keep and walls that still crown the ridge today.

Inside the walls

Stepping through the gateways of Monsaraz is like stepping back hundreds of years. The lanes are paved with stone, the low houses are dazzlingly white with roofs of dark slate, and there are no modern buildings to spoil the medieval scene. An old church, a former courthouse with a rare medieval wall-painting of Justice, and the castle keep all survive within the walls.

One especially charming detail: the open space inside the castle, once a parade ground, was later used as the village bullring, with stone seating built around it. So the old fortress found a second life as the heart of village festivals.

Saved by remoteness

Monsaraz survived so perfectly because it was small and remote, far from the busy roads and growing cities. There was never any reason to tear down the old houses, and so the whole village remained as a living piece of the Middle Ages. In modern times it has been carefully protected as a treasured historic place.

The building of the huge Alqueva dam in recent decades created the vast lake below the village, transforming the landscape and bringing new visitors to enjoy the water and the views.

Visiting today

Visitors who climb to Monsaraz can wander its quiet white streets, explore the castle keep and its old bullring, and walk the walls for one of the finest views in the Alentejo — out over the shimmering Alqueva lake toward Spain. The dark, clear night skies here are famous for stargazing. Peaceful, perfectly preserved and breathtakingly sited, Monsaraz is one of the great hidden jewels of southern Portugal.