Monsanto (Idanha-a-Nova)

The mountain Monsanto (Latin: Mons Sanctus) rises abruptly to the East of the Idanha-a-Nova up to 758 meters above sea level.

Traces from Visigothic in the early Middle Ages and even earlier Arab presence have been found in the area.

In the 12th century, King Afonso I of Portugal conquered Monsanto from the Moors as part of the Christian Reconquista.

The Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Templar, Gualdim Pais, was manager of the building of the fortress.

The mountain rock is granite upon which the historic and present villages are built in a fusion of nature and its landforms.

Monsanto and its granite houses.
View of Monsanto from the castle.
The Clock Tower or Lucano Tower with its Silver Rooster which was the trophy for winning the title of Portugal's Most Portuguese Village in 1938.
Chapel of Saint Mary of the Castle