Monsanto stands on the slopes of an isolated hill, about 760 metres high, rising from the Beira Baixa plain near Spain. It is one of the most incredible villages in Europe: its granite houses are built among huge rounded boulders, which serve as walls, roofs and courtyards, so much so that in some cases a single boulder covers an entire house. It belongs to the municipality of Idanha-a-Nova and is one of Portugal's historic villages.
The most Portuguese village
In 1938, under the Estado Novo, Monsanto won the contest for the "most Portuguese village in Portugal", receiving a silver rooster, the Galo de Prata, which still tops the clock tower, the Torre de Lucano. Walking its steep lanes, past Manueline doorways, cats in the sun and overhanging boulders, is a unique experience. One of the most photographed houses is the "house with a single roof tile", entirely covered by a rock.
The castle
A path among the rocks climbs to the ruins of the castle, Templar in origin, rebuilt by King Dinis and partly destroyed by an explosion in the nineteenth century. From the top the view takes in the plain, the Idanha reservoir and, on clear days, Spain. Along the way are the Romanesque chapel of São Miguel and some rock-cut tombs.
The Festa das Cruzes
On 3 May the Festa das Cruzes recalls an ancient siege: legend says the starving inhabitants threw a calf fattened on the last of the grain from the walls, and the besiegers, convinced that supplies were plentiful, left. The women climb to the castle singing and throw pots of flowers from the walls, and girls carry marafonas, faceless rag dolls that bring good luck.
Idanha-a-Velha
About fifteen kilometres away is Idanha-a-Velha, a tiny village built on the ruins of the Roman city of Egitânia, a bishopric in Visigothic times. You can see the Roman walls, the early Christian and Visigothic cathedral, a Templar tower and a traditional olive press. The whole area is part of the UNESCO Naturtejo Geopark. Idanha-a-Nova is also a UNESCO Creative City of Music and hosts the Boom electronic music festival in summer. Monsanto is about an hour from Castelo Branco.