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Castelo Rodrigo, a walled village on the frontier
Castelo Rodrigo is a walled hilltop village at 820 metres in the municipality of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, in the district of Guarda, with views over the Serra da Marofa and across the plateau towards Spain. It belongs to the Historic Villages of Portugal network, and in 2018 it was voted one of the 7 Wonders of Portugal in the authentic village category. Its story is a frontier story: resettled under King Ferdinand II of León in 1161, it only became Portuguese for good with the Treaty of Alcañices in 1297. Inside the walls, the medieval street plan still radiates from the citadel, past the ruined palace of Cristóvão de Moura, a 13-metre-deep medieval cistern, the 13th-century church of Nossa Senhora do Rocamador and a tall Manueline pillory. For a beer, Castelo Rodrigo has a single spot inside its medieval walls, a rare find in a village better known for wine and lamb, so it is one to remember after a day on the ramparts.
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About Castelo Rodrigo
Castelo Rodrigo is a walled hilltop village in the municipality of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, in the district of Guarda, set at 820 metres with views over the Serra da Marofa and across the plateau towards Spain. It belongs to the Historic Villages of Portugal network, and on 3 September 2018 it was voted one of the 7 Wonders of Portugal in the authentic village category.
Its story is a frontier story. The council traces it from a Vettonian hillfort later occupied by the Romans, to the resettlement ordered by King Ferdinand II of León in 1161 and a charter from Alfonso IX that created the first municipality in Riba Côa. The village only became Portuguese for good on 12 September 1297, with the Treaty of Alcañices. King Manuel I granted a new charter in 1508, and the tall Manueline pillory with its octagonal cage, a National Monument since 1922, dates from that time. For more than 600 years the village was a municipal seat, until on 25 June 1836 the seat moved to Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo.
Inside the walls, which once had 13 towers, the medieval street plan still radiates from the citadel. At the top stand the ruins of the palace that Cristóvão de Moura, made Marquis of Castelo Rodrigo under Spanish rule, had built for himself; after Portugal regained its independence in 1640, the people destroyed it. Nearby is the medieval cistern, 13 metres deep, with one horseshoe-arched door and one pointed door. The parish church of Nossa Senhora do Rocamador, a Monument of Public Interest, was founded in the 13th century by a confraternity of hospitaller friars from France, on the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela. Look out too for Manueline houses on Rua da Cadeia and cross-shaped marks on doorways, which may identify the homes of the village's New Christian community.
On 7 July 1664 Portuguese troops under Pedro Jacques de Magalhães defeated the Duke of Osuna's Spanish army at Castelo Rodrigo, after a garrison of 150 men held out until reinforcements arrived. Spend the morning walking the walls and lanes, and the afternoon exploring the countryside around, where the Historic Villages network points to the Douro International Natural Park, the Côa Valley, the Serra da Marofa and the Faia Brava reserve. Marofa lamb and octopus are among the local dishes to look for.
Castelo Rodrigo has a single spot for a beer inside its medieval walls, a rare find in a village better known for wine and lamb. After a day on the ramparts, a cold glass with a view towards Spain is reward enough.
Frequently asked questions about Castelo Rodrigo
Castelo Rodrigo has a single spot for a beer inside its medieval walls, a rare find in a village better known for wine and lamb. Spend the morning on the walls and lanes and the afternoon in the countryside around, where Marofa lamb and octopus are among the local dishes to look for.
The medieval street plan still radiates from the citadel, where the ruins of Cristóvão de Moura's palace stand. Nearby are a medieval cistern 13 metres deep and the 13th-century church of Nossa Senhora do Rocamador, and Rua da Cadeia keeps Manueline houses with cross-shaped marks on some doorways.
The village only became Portuguese for good on 12 September 1297, with the Treaty of Alcañices. Earlier, King Ferdinand II of León had ordered its resettlement in 1161. King Manuel I granted a new charter in 1508, and the Manueline pillory, a National Monument since 1922, dates from that time.
On 7 July 1664 Portuguese troops under Pedro Jacques de Magalhães defeated the Duke of Osuna's Spanish army at Castelo Rodrigo, after a garrison of 150 men held out until reinforcements arrived. The village had been a municipal seat for more than 600 years, until the seat moved to Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo in 1836.
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