Castelo de Montemor-o-Novo

Standing atop the highest hill in the region, at an elevation of roughly nine hundred and forty-five feet, the Castle of Montemor-o-Novo is a colossal testament to the strategic importance of the Alentejo. As you look out over…

Our exploration begins at the Porta da Vila, or Village Gate, the most famous entrance to the walled enclosure. Notice the sturdy guardhouse attached to the wall, a sixteenth-century addition designed to reinforce security at…

Continuing to the northwest end of the castle, we encounter the evocative ruins of the Church of Santa Maria do Bispo. Originally built in the thirteenth century, the church underwent a profound Manueline reconstruction in 1534…

Near the church ruins lies the Angel Gate, also known as the Bishop's Gate. Built during the time of King Dinis, this entrance is flanked by two towers, one of which is remarkably well-preserved with its hipped pyramidal roof. …

In the southern sector of the castle, we find the deeply ruined Paço dos Alcaides, or the Mayor's Palace. Built in the fourteenth century, this was the administrative heart of the town. …

Adjacent to the palace ruins stands the Church of Saint John the Baptist. Founded in the thirteenth century, this church features a single nave covered by a brick barrel vault and a chancel topped by a hemispherical dome with a…

At the eastern end of the castle stands the sixty-two-foot-high Tower of the Ill-Fated Hour, which protects the Gate of Saint James. The tower's dramatic name comes from a local legend regarding the Christian conquest of the town. …

As our exploration of the Castle of Montemor-o-Novo comes to an end, we are left with a profound sense of the 'glorious past' mentioned in the town's history. We have walked from the Roman foundations through the heights of the…