Just below the junction of the Ribeira de Arronches and River Caia next to the bridge of Santa Maria, is a rock called Pedra da Moura (Moorish rock) Legend says that the rock is enchanted by a delighted Moorish princess betrothed by her father to a noble, though she was in love with a prince […]
The Caia Dam has the largest reservoir of Portalegre district, extending from the municipalities of Arronches, Campo Maior and Elvas. It is a mixed dam, with concrete in the deepest part of the valley and embankment on the left bank of the river. Located in rugged terrain marked by extensive olive groves. The […]
Portalegre is located in one of the flanks of the Serra of São Mamede , which is a mountain range with a wide variety of fauna and flora, considered Natural Park. Here, you can find deer, wild boars and eagles in the forest of chestnut and oak trees. This wealth makes Portalegre for the natural […]
Due to the abundance of raw materials for the soap production, this area had since the 2nd half of the 16th Century a decisive role in the national soap industry. Its Softsoap and Soapstone were widely known throughout the kingdom. The soap production took undeniable economic and social importance in Belver village. In this […]
The date of its founding is not known for certain, however, already in the 14th century there was a Jewish quarter in Castelo de Vide, which consisted of a set of houses built next to the castle’ main door. The Synagogue is located at Rua Jewry / Fountain Street, the building is oriented towards east […]
In a dominant position on top of a hill north of the São Mamede mountains, is of strategic importance due to its proximity to the border. Due to the splendor of the surrounding countryside, the village is known locally as the Sintra of Alentejo. At the time of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian peninsula, […]
Following its conquest by Alfonso I in the 1160s, and its brief recapture by Almohads in the 1190s, Marvão’s situation remained fragile around the start of the 13th century: it was listed among Portuguese territories only in the termo of Castelo Branco in 1214. Marvão was a recently conquered outpost, that needed to be fully integrated into […]
The Roman City of Ammaia located in the heart of the Natural Park of the Sierra de S.Mamede, one of the most bucolic and wooded places, within walking distance of Dam Apertadura and halfway to Marvão and Castelo de Vide where heritage is built and natural privileged reason for visit, is beginning today to be […]
The earliest dolmens in southern Portugal date from c. 4800 BCE, and this culture lasted into the Bronze Age (2000 BCE) and beyond into the Iron Age. In and around Marvão, there exists a high concentration of dolmens, rock-hewn tombs, passage mounds and megaliths, dated to the 3rd millennium BCE. Together with the Sever-valley sites around the […]
. The castle is part of the Natural Park Serra de São Mamede, on the northern slope of the mountain, in a dominant position over the village and on the strategic line of streak, controlling in the past the crossing of the river Sever, a Tagus River affluent. This fact assured it the attention of […]
