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Portalegre district |
To see and do
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Useful information
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Personal notes
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Other opinions
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My preferences:
** Very interesting: Marvão Elvas Castelo de Vide * Interesting: Portalegre Campo Maior Belver With time Alter do Chão, Amieira do Tejo, Ponte de Sor and Avis |
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I never heard about this place, until I saw it in a Spanish guide for Portugal. Going to the área, I added it to my itinerary, and visited, with curiosity. It is a common village, with a castle, a few kilometers far from the river. It's Ok, as a detail in a trip to the deep Portugal.
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The castle Built by the Hospitallers after Belver, to enhance the defensive line of the river, this castle comes from the 13th century. Losing its military importance it was partially used as private residence, and the courtyard as cemetery, until 1940 when it was classified as a national monument. |
Chapel
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For many years I heard good references about this castle, but, being so far and away from any other featured destination, I always skipped it. This year we took a large weekend to travel inland, and the detour to Belver was planned. Well, the castle is as interesting as I knew, but also the site, mirroring in the calm water of the dam, is very beautiful. Really a very nice detail in any trip in central Portugal! |
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The castle
The first castle constructed in Portugal by the Hospitallers was located by Tejo river, to stabilize the border between Christians and Muslims, in the 12th century. It was ruled by the religious order until the 14th century, and kept being used for defensive purposes with some adaptations, until the 18th century. A strong earthquake in 1909 caused serious damages, but in 1939 the recuperation was started, and, with successive interventions, it was carefully recovered during 50 years. It may be visited from Tuesday afternoon to Sunday, from 9.30 to 12.30 and 14.30 to 17.00, except in a few holidays, and between July 10th. and 17th |
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Far from anywhere in Portugal, Campo Maior, almost Spanish, is widely known because of the "Festas do Povo" (people's festivities) that take place each four years. They're an explosion of color, each street rivaling with its neighbors to get the prize for the most beautiful. Millions of Portuguese and Spanish (and other) converge to Campo Maior in September. Sometimes... in August. |
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Festas do Povo
National colours, identifying the most popular clubs in Portugal (Sporting and Benfica), give the boys the chance to demonstrate their different choices. But where? And why these colors? In Campo Maior for the Festas do Povo (people's festivities). They're an explosion of color, each street rivaling with its neighbors to get the prize of the most beautiful. It is very difficult to get accommodation. so, Elvas or Badajoz, with luck, are near solutions. 2020. September 2020. Don't forget to put in your agenda. |
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Festas da Cidade
Maybe Campo Maior has interesting points besides its festivities, but, surrounded by so much color, who gets time and space to search for anything else? Only going there in another occasion. But its so far... In Alentejo it doesn't rain much, and the decoration uses to be safe, but... what if it does rain?. |
Castelo de Vide
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A couple of times in Castelo de Vide, but only the last one with time to have a deep look at town.
It is small, rich in tradition, specially in connection with Jewish culture. For a few years it became the regular location to one of the biggest dancing events in Portugal - Andanças. Though facing the extreme heat of summer, that may be a great opportunity for a couple of days in town |
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My shame! I've been in Elvas more than a dozen times, and only once I had time to see something around. Not much, I must confess, but enough to decide that, in one of the next opportunities I will check some more details. |
Marvão
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There are two ways to appreciate Marvão - one of them entering the castle, enjoying its details, and the wide sights across border, showing that Portugal and Spain are only conventional designations for the same landscape. The other one is from distance with the castle topping the ridge, as a sentinel guarding the hills, where "progress" is the pretext to some visual offenses... Why not mixing the two? |
Portalegre
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One day passing by, in the way to Spain, another one visiting the city for an express cultural event, and a third one, in a trip from Castelo de Vide trying to see something more but "forbidden" by the 41º Celsius in the shades (and a "special" shop that Fernanda had seen in the previous visit. So, Portalegre keeps being one of my least known cities of Portugal. Till when? |