Private tours in Lisbon & surroundings
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Program
In this tour you can visit ancient towns of Portugal where you step back in time and feel the atmosphere of medieval way of living in
well preserved ancient Portuguese villages. So close to Lisbon and yet so distant in time and History...
Drive across Vasco da Gama 12 km long bridge for a view of Lisbon and its estuary.
We stop at Estremoz. The region has been inhabited since pre-historic times. King Dinis rebuilt the castle as a Royal Palace, turning
the village into an important political centre. Estremoz is internationally known for its fine to medium-grained marble that occurs in
several colours. There is so much marble around Estremoz that it is used everywhere; even the doorsteps, pavements and the cobble
stones are made out of marble.
We proceed to Marvao, fortified old town at the top of a hill. The splendid site and 360-degree panorama alone would be reason
enough to visit the medieval mountaintop village of Marvão, but the town itself (a candidate for the World Heritage list), is one of
Portugal's most spectacular fortified villages. The greatest attraction is the unspoiled medieval atmosphere in its steep and narrow
lanes with immaculately whitewashed houses, leading to a magnificent 13th century castle rising from the rock. It contains a huge
water cistern and nearby is a 13th century church with a small but interesting museum of archaeological finds and local artifacts. Most
rewarding of all is climbing onto the walls, battlements and towers for the impressive views, and staying for the stunning sunset and
evening peace of the village. At the top of the state inn, built among tightly clustered houses, also with magnificent views, like nearby
mountains of São Mamede, a natural park with Neolithic and Roman remains, wildlife, and Europe's largest colony of bats.
Castelo de Vide, on another green slope of Serra de São Mamede, is known for its curative waters since roman times and its castle, that
gave the town its name. Dating from Roman times and sprawling on one of these green slopes, it has preserved within its walls a
remarkable patrimony: churches, fountains, mansions, Gothic doorways and the characteristic maze-like Judiaria (Jewish quarter),
with its small white houses, cobbled alleys and a synagogue dating from the 13th century. Also worth visiting are the Baroque Church
of St. Mary, the 18th-century Town Hall and pillory, the carved stone fountain of "Fonte da Vila" or the 13th-century chapel of São
Salvador do Mundo (Saviour of the World). Within the walls of the Castle (now in ruins) which gave the town its name, the small
chapel of Nossa Senhora da Alegria (Our Lady of Joy) exhibits splendid polychrome floral tiles from the 17th century.
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...The region around Estremoz has been inhabited since pre-historic times. There are also vestiges of Roman, Visigoth and Muslim
occupation. During the Reconquista, Estremoz was captured in the 12th century by the army of knight Geraldo Sem Pavor (Gerald
the fearless), who had also conquered neighbouring Évora. However, Estremoz was soon retaken by the Moors and only in the mid-
13th century reconquered by Portuguese King Sancho II. Kings and Queens have lived and died in Estremoz. King Afonso III
granted a letter of feudal rights (foral) to Estremoz in 1258, promoting the colonisation of the area. In the early 14th century, King
Dinis I rebuilt the castle as a Royal Palace, turning the village into an important political centre. King Pedro I, the Portuguese
“Romeo”, died in the Convent of São Francisco to which he bequeathed his tortured heart. Queen Isabel, considered a saint by the
people, who came here with King Dinis, also ended up staying. Nowadays, a pousada named after her is to be found in King Joao
V's former armoury. We notice many religious and military architectural styles, the latter justified by the strategic importance
Estremoz always enjoyed in the wars against invaders, due to its strategic position towards the capital city of Lisbon. it was the
military headquarters during the wars of Independence and later became the centre of the struggle in the war to restore the
Portuguese throne. The region produces excellent marble and has rich and varied traditions to handicraft. Estremoz is
internationally known for its fine to medium-grained marble that occurs in several colours: white, cream, pink, grey or black and
streaks with any combination of these colours. Especially the pink marble (Rosa Aurora and Estremoz Pink) is in high demand.
There is so much marble around Estremoz that it is even converted into whitewash for painting the houses. Portugal is the second
largest exporter of marble in the world, surpassed only by Italy (Carrara marble). About 85 % of this marble (over 370,000 tons) is
produced around Estremoz....
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...Marvão is a small hilltop village in the Serra de Mamede in Alto Alentejo. It's completely walled with a great castle on top of the
mountain - very like a child's dream. It's well worth an hour or so just wandering along the top of the village and feasting on the views
spectacularly set on an escarpment facing Serra de São Mamede and Spain, over the fertile plains. This small and tranquil medieval
town is completely enclosed by walls, with whitewashed houses blending into the granite of the mountains. Reality lies here, waiting to
be unveiled, in the endless plains and mountains, in the water that entertains and cures, in the great open spaces in the midst of nature
or in those built by man both for ancient wars and for peace. Since prehistoric times this corner of the Portugal has been sought by
mankind. Over half a hundred dolmens and menhirs - of which that Meada (Castelo de Vide), is the biggest of the Iberian Peninsula -
bear witness to the exuberance of the megalithic culture. The Romans were to surprise the natives in their fortifications. They dislodged
them and built on the best lands of the valley and plains the birthplace of our civilisation. History began with them. The Roman town of
Ammaia (Marvão) with its beautiful mosaics retell a little of the splendours of the Empire. Following the Barbarians, the Moors left
their indelible imprint on the language, the agriculture, the military architecture that the Christians from the North were able to
assimilate and transform into anchors of Portuguese nationality. The castle and town walls constitute the eternal documentation of
those disturbed times of the fight for independence. Touches of Manueline, Renaissance and Baroque erudition's were added ti their
vernacular purity, in places, churches and convents, permitted by the centuries of the Discoveries...
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...Castelo de Vide - The Romans first settled here in 44 BC being an important point in the road from Merida in Spain across to the
west coast. The Vandals conquered and destroyed the town in the 4th Century. It was later rebuilt by the Moors in the 7th Century
until 1148 when it was taken by forces led by Gonçalo Mousinho who then became its governor. The town's first Royal Charter was
issued in 1180 and unlike other places it was required to organize its own defences and in return the young men of the town were
not by law automatically obliged to be soldiers. It is unknown when Vide as it was originally known was first fortified. On the orders
of Dom Dinis the castle was rebuilt in 1310 and its name was prefixed by the word Castelo. When Afonso IV ascended to the throne
he gave the town to his younger brother. This same brother later laid claim to the throne and an imminent battle for the castle was
only avoided by the clever intervention of the ambassadors sent by the future to be Queen of Portugal, Dona Isabel de Aragon. Its
protection and close border location was to attract many Jews from Spain during 1492 that escaped from the severe persecution
handed out by the Catholic Church. In 1704 the Spanish attempted unsuccessfully to capture the castle but later fell to the attack of
the Duke of Berwick who threatened to put all in the town to the sword. The defending Portuguese then placed all their gunpowder
for protection in a well but a year later an explosion of this powder destroyed a great part of its fortifications. When they proceeded
to rebuilt and extend the walls they included the houses that had grown up around the castle in the outer walls...
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