The Medieval village and castle of Monsaraz

This is one of my favourite villages in Portugal. It was basically love at first sight, you see the hill and the castle up ahead as you draw closer, the white painted houses clustered within the walls and the view, oh the view is to die for! To the east you have the Alqueva dam, the water is deep blue in the giant artificial lake during the day, golden orange during a spectacular sunset. Dotted around the lake are olive trees and cork trees. To the west you've got a typical Alentejo plateau with villages, trees, animals and fields. It is like something idyllic from the Disney movie Ferdinand.

The village has an outer wall connected to a castle and with the village inside the walls on top of a summit. Created for defensive purposes, it is now a really charming place full of medieval remains and the original outline of the streets still maintained. Very few people live here, some tourists have fallen in love in the place and bought some of the houses or apartments. Some artists also live here, producing crafts and artworks inspired from the region and the village itself. It doesn't matter if you are a bohemian, history lover, a foodie or a romantic (maybe you are all of those things), this village has something to offer to each one of you.

This hill and the surrounding region has been used for habitation since prehistoric times. During the neolithic period this region was a hot spot for megalithic communities which built dolmens, menhirs and other stone structures in the landscape. They later built a castro (fortified settlement) on the hilltop and had their funerary sites in the nearby area. Many different groups chose to stay in this region such as the Romans, the Visigoths,
the Moors and some Jewish communities as well. The old Iberian name for this village was Xerez/Xarez. It is the name of a plant which grows in the area, the Gum Rockrose/Laudanum plant called Cistus Ladanifer in latin. The plant is covered in a sticky resin which you can use in folk medicine, herbal concoctions and perfumery. When the Moors controlled the village the name changed to Sharish, and when it became reconquered again by Christians the name changed to Monte Xaraz - hence the name of Monsaraz today.

The Christian Reconquista was led by Geraldo Sem Pavor, Geraldo the Fearless, in 1167. This Portuguese knight was one of the main heroes in the war against the Moorish strongholds within the Alentejo region. He generally attacked during heavy rains or snow, with a small commando-like group who climbed the walls by surprise, killed the sentinels guarding the castles and then opened the castle gates from within so that the Christian army waiting on the outside could gain control over each town, such as Monsaraz for example.

Alas, things got a bit out of control and the Portuguese lost the village again to the Moors, only to be retaken by the military forces of D. Sancho II in 1232. As a thanks to the Order of the Knights Templar (later Order of Christ) who had helped them regain the territory, the king granted them the village and nearby countryside. Their obligation was to improve the fortifications and keep the territory within Portuguese control.

The village flourished thanks to good agricultural lands and crafts such as pottery and metalworking. It was the main town in the area until economical, political and practical reasons changed the situation, by the year of 1851, in favour of the nearby town of Reguengos de Monsaraz. Since then Monsaraz turned into a sleepy village, much in need of some proper restoration until it was finally rediscovered by tourists and local entrepreneurs in our days.

Today you can enjoy the village by foot (almost no cars passes through the narrow streets). It is vibrant yet calm, beautiful yet melancholic, alive yet full of memories past. Enter and leave through one of the four possible entrances to the city, some of them protected by towers and turrets. In one end you've got the castle, today classified as a National Monument. It was built in the Gothic style in the 14th century by the king D. Dinis. Since the 1800s the inner courtyard has served as a bullfighting ring. Climb up to have a great view overlooking both the village and the landscape.

Walk into the main square of D. Nuno Álvares Pereira. There you will find the city pillory made out of white marble and also the main church of Our Lady of the Lagoon (Nossa Senhora da Lagoa). This is a church built out of schist in the Renaissance style in the 1500s. It stands on top of an earlier Gothic church which was abandoned due to the black plague which really affected this region. Enjoy the pediment of the church as well as the tile panels and the Cross of the Order of Christ. On the inside you will find the tomb of the Knights Templar Gomes Martins Silvestre. He was the first Castellan/Mayor of the village and his tomb is made out of white marble from Estremoz depicting a funeral procession.

Closeby you've got the Antigos paços da Audiência which worked as a court and administrative building. Inside you can see a lovely Medieval fresco of "The Good and the Bad Judge". The bad judge listens to rumours and receives money from the people whereas the good one only receives blessings from the angels.

Do not forget to visit the House of the Inquisition to learn more about how they spread their terror in this country, killing Jews, Muslims and Christians alike who did not agree with the views of the Catholic Church and the Dominican Order. In this region it was mainly the Jews and New Christians (Cristãos Novos) which were newly converted families, who got persecuted. Things that could get you questioned, tortured and killed were for example if you cleaned and swept the house from the inside out instead of from the outside in, if you refused to eat pork and drink alcohol or if you where seen lighting a candle on a Saturday (the Sabbath). It is a small but memorable museum. 

There are more small chapels and churches in the village. Just get a bit lost and when you feel up for it, pick a restaurant or a bar and enjoy a glass of good local wine, try the bread, the cheeses and olives. Enjoy a simple, vegetarian and fresh Portuguese gaspacho soup on a hot day or go for a comforting lamb dish if you are really hungry. Most places have great views to accompany your food experience.