Montemor o Novo

Montemor o Novo... 

Another place of the map driven by on the highway, seen from a distance and wondered, "What is that place?"  Well, we made it a destination...

About an hour away over the Vasco da Gama bridge, into the Alentejo region, east of Lisbon is Montemor o Novo.  We did not know what to expect other than a bit of reading on the web about it.  Hmmm, worth it to go?  YES!

As we drove through the town below the castle and ruins above, which was much larger than we had expected, and cannot be seen from the highway. We then found its wonderful white walled homes and buildings, with only the trim around the windows and doors painted various bright colors.  Our focus was to drive up to the castle that could be seen as only a shell or ruins of something quite large.  Upon our arrival at the castle entry and our walk up to and around the walls, we realized how large this place had once been.  It was not just a castle, but the remains of a large walled city approximately 3/4's of a mile in diameter.    As we walked within these walls and fortress, we were the only four visitors.  

Entering Montemor o Novo

Entrance to the castle/walled city on the hill

As we entered the gate, we came upon two men working under umbrellas with brushes in hand carefully excavating and clearing the dirt from what appeared to be homes within these thick walls.  Several feet of dirt had completely covered these remains and was being carefully uncovered.  It was a Medieval village, and room after room was being uncovered.  

Excavations

How old must this road be???

Excavations looking up to the ruins

Montemor (= "the mountain of the Moors") was first built and fortified by the Romans and later the Moors.  The town first was chartered in 1203.  The castle was built in the late 13th century.  The convent  within the walls is now a museum and what looked like a performing arts center.  Behind the convent was a small Catholic church built in the 1300's but "newly" restored in the 1700's now used for office space, no longer an active church building.  

Convent

Church

It was very interesting to walk through the ruins, to touch them and to walk on them and to try to imagine what this place was like when it was "new".  This "city" up on the hill was huge by all indications we saw while walking around.  It was especially a fun time as O & M had not been there to explore before.  

Remains of the church at the top of the mont

Inside of church

The watchman?

The jester and the king!

A walk on the walls (with no hand rails or guards!)

The city below

The queen and her maiden!

It is interesting to note that between 800-900 years ago Portugal was the center of the world for the global conflict between Western Christianity and  the Arabic (Moorish) world.  It was here that one of the final major battles between these great cultures resulted in the securing of southern Europe as Christian.  It is remarkable how so many years later ancient conflicts continue.  

If only these walls could speak.... 

and until one sees this, and even then, it is hard, so hard to really absorb what is here.