Why move to Portalegre District
Portalegre’s cluster of castle towns has managed to balance on a monolithic mountainside developing their shepherd crafts, eclectic festivities and heartwarming high-altitude recipes for centuries.
The Portalegre district of Portugal leans against the Spanish border and contains the city of Portalegre plus 15 smaller municipalities and the Parque Natural de Serra de Sao Mamede. The park protects the Serra de Sao Mamede mountain range, and while summer temperatures average around 30°C, in winter, there could be snow.
Portalegre itself was founded in 1259 and given city status in 1550 due to its economic role in cloth manufacturing. Being so close to the border, the city has tick-tocked between Portuguese and Spanish rule. Then finally, in 1859, it became the stable capital of the Portalegre District. The architecture is a heady blend of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. The house museum of Jose Regio acknowledges the life and works of the acclaimed 20th century poet. The Tapestry Museum keeps tapestries, silk cloth and religious tableaux from the 17th century to today on display. Finally, the Robinson Cork Factory, a 19th century industrial building was renovated and reopened to display the heritage of the local cork trade.
The Mamede mountain range separates the River Tagus from the River Guadiana, and many water tributaries run down from its peaks into these prodigious waterways. The granite ground shrublands are littered with Pyrenean, Holm and Cork oaks, and Sweet Chestnut, Olive and Pine trees, forming a suitable natural habitat for bats, eagles, vultures, wild boar and red deer. Near Marvao, you can play golf at Ammaia Club de Golf, and there is a network of dams and reservoirs which make water sports and bathing possible. Paths have been cut into the mountainside for hikers, but there are off-road sports too including spot mountain biking, horse riding and motocross riders making use of the steep inclines.
The town of Marvao balances on top of an escarpment. Its medieval castle dates back to the times of the Reconquista (the ousting of the Moors) and it’s one of the few towns not to have burst out from its ageing, encircling walls. Another is Elvas, whose remarkable star-shaped ramparts vie for visual attention with a magnificent Roman aqueduct. Castelo de Vide has an ancient, maze-like Jewish district while its natural spring waters have been thought curative for centuries. Other small towns worth exploring are Cato, Arronches and Alegrete.
Easter is a huge festival in Castelo de Vide; this springtime fiesta lasts from Palm Sunday to Easter Monday and is influenced by several Judeo-Christian traditions. On Easter Saturday, shepherds are summoned to the Blessing of the Lambs ceremony, where the flocks are driven through town so they can be blessed before being sold. Portalegre hosts the One Man Band Festival, which celebrates solo performers in a multitude of genres and hosts gigs from international artists. Typically, you’ll find heartwarming chestnuts, cheese made from ewes milk, garlic sausage, yellow rice and slow-cooked lamb on the menu. Apartments are rare; you’re far more likely to find a decent-sized townhouse if you want to live in the towns. The real gems in this area are the country villas and farmhouses, take your pick between a brand new high-spec building or a renovation project with acres of land.