In this video... Monsanto, Portugal May 8, 2024 - 10:00 am 19 ºC / 66 ºF Hi everyone! Welcome to Monsanto, one of Portugal's most
unique and beautiful places, located in the municipality of Idanha-a-Nova. Nestled on the side of a rocky mountain, in a sparsely populated region, Monsanto is unlike any other village, where houses are seamlessly integrated and
sandwiched between gigantic granite boulders. We need to keep walking up the mountain. Of the more than 200 videos
I've filmed for the channel, I think this was the most
physically demanding one, and the video that took me the longest to film. The local National Republican Guard (GNR) station. The GNR has policing responsibilities
in the country's rural areas. Monsanto is located 275 km
(171 miles) northeast of Lisbon, very close to the Spanish border. Memorial to the men of
Monsanto who died in combat, especially in World War I. Portugal - Spain Monsanto - Idanha-a-Nova - Covilhã - Sortelha Avenida (avenue) Fernando Ramos Rocha Last week I showed you a village made of schist, today we have a village made of granite. There's a region in Portugal where
the houses are made of basalt, and another one where limestone
is the main building material. This YouTube channel is slowly
turning into a geology channel! I hope you like rocks, because we're
going to have a lot of rocks here. Rua (street) Fernando Namora Monsanto is located on the side
of a mountain called Mons Sanctus, which in Latin meant Holy Mountain. Mons Sanctus dominates the surrounding horizon, and has been inhabited for thousands of years. We're going all the way to the top! Spain Capela do Espírito Santo
(Chapel of the Holy Spirit), built in the 17th century. Monsanto has about 100 inhabitants, with many residents being elderly. The former home of Fernando
Namora (1919 - 1989), a doctor and a renowned writer. He worked as a municipal doctor
in Monsanto in the 1940s. Monsanto is renowned for its
integration into the natural landscape, where houses and streets are carved out of,
and built around, massive granite boulders. Mother Church of Monsanto, also
known as Church of São Salvador, probably built in the 15th century. I'll explain what this is. In recent years, Monsanto has gained
more international attention... ...because it was here that several scenes for
the TV series House of the Dragon were filmed, a prequel to the hugely popular
Game of Thrones series. In 2023, a tourist route was inaugurated, consisting of 27 panels placed along the streets
of Monsanto and extending up to the castle, combining the heritage of the historic
village with the universe of Game of Thrones. The village of Relva. The first panel of the Game of Thrones route. I'll show you the main filming
locations at the end of the video. This is a long video, but I use chapters to break up
the video into smaller sections, to let you easily watch different
parts of the video when you want. All over the internet you'll find information
that Monsanto has around 800 inhabitants, which is completely wrong. Those 800 people are the total number of
inhabitants of around 20 villages in this region. Igreja da Misericórdia (Church of Mercy),
built in the 16th century. Officially, Monsanto is a town,
albeit a very small one, but, for all intents and purposes,
everyone refers to it as a village, and that's how it's promoted, so I'll do the same. The oldest traces of human presence
here date back to the Stone Age. The Romans settled at the base
of the mountain, 2000 years ago. Traces of Visigothic occupation
between the 6th and 8th centuries... and Arab presence in the following
centuries were also found in the area. Torre de Lucano (Lucano Tower), built in 1420. This tower, with its medieval
military architecture, was part of Monsanto's defensive line. Rua da Soenga Monsanto Castle The Portuguese king Afonso Henriques
conquered Monsanto from the Arabs, and, in the year 1165, granted the village to the
Order of the Knights Templar. Once again, the Templars are linked to the history
of yet another incredible place in Portugal. The Templars, under the command
of Grand Master Gualdim Pais, ordered the construction of Monsanto Castle. I'll take you to the castle later in the video. Monsanto was granted a royal charter in 1174, officially establishing the
municipality with the same name. This is the real organic architecture. Capela de Santo António (St. Anthony's Chapel),
built in the 16th century. Cemetery Saint Anthony's Gate Now I have to go all the way up! Throughout the Middle Ages, Monsanto was attacked and besieged a few
times by the neighboring Kingdom of León, (today part of Spain) but always without success. The County of Portugal had separated
from the Kingdom of León in 1139... ...to become an independent kingdom. These boulders and the houses that
are sandwiched between them... ...are one of Monsanto's defining features. Wait, this is not where I want to go... Despite its tiny size, Monsanto was the seat of the
municipality between 1174 and 1853. "Ferreiro" Fountain In 1853 the municipality was abolished... ...and Monsanto became part of
the municipality of Idanha-a-Nova, another picturesque and historical
town to visit in this region. Despite being sparsely populated, and somewhat overlooked in
terms of tourism in Portugal, there are so many interesting
places with so much history... ...in this eastern region of the country. Don't hit your head on the boulder! Monsanto is, by far, this
region's main tourist attraction, so if you want to visit it I suggest
you don't do it on a weekend, especially in July/August. Rua do Sol Velho Early morning or late afternoon are
the best times to explore Monsanto. A manor house. During the day, on weekends, you may find hundreds of tourists
walking through these narrow streets. It's the downside of being such
a picturesque and unique place. There are only a few small hotels in Monsanto, and most of the accommodation is
in the form of houses for rent. These houses are always in high demand. This small cave, formerly a pigpen, is the result of free space at
the base of several boulders. Monsanto's most popular viewpoint. The tourists have arrived. I think they're all Spanish. Accommodation in Monsanto is usually
sold out from May to October, and you need to book several months in advance. Look at this house! In 1938, Monsanto won the title of
"Portugal's most Portuguese village", becoming a symbol of the authentic
way of life in rural Portugal. This is a Flintstones house in real life! To this day Monsanto is still known as
Portugal's most Portuguese village. To me, Monsanto is much more than that. At the moment, Monsanto is probably my favorite
place to visit in the whole country! These are ancient "furdas",
the local word for "pigpen". Less than a week after visiting Monsanto, I went to a village that some people may
consider the most stunning village in Portugal, it's all about personal taste. Stay tuned for that video! Another cave? These days I'm starting to get tired of city life, and I much prefer the small
villages up in the mountains, where my family roots are from. It's in the mountains that I really feel at home! Here's the magical Monsanto Castle. In 1991, the Historic Villages of
Portugal program was established. It is an initiative aimed at
preserving and promoting... ...a group of ancient villages with significant
historical and architectural heritage. 10 villages were included in the program, and, obviously, Monsanto was among them. On the north-east side of the castle
stands the Chapel of Saint Miguel. Unfortunately, the rumors are not true, this chapel is not dedicated to me. The chapel was built in the late 12th century, and it was around it that the medieval
settlement of Monsanto initially developed. These are the ruins of the original village. The chapel is surrounded by an ancient
necropolis that predates its construction, with tombs excavated in the rock. These are not the only tombs. In 2003, an additional two villages/towns were
added to the Historic Villages program, one of them I've already showcased
on the channel: Trancoso. My goal is to publish videos about all
the Historic Villages as soon as possible. This is amazing! Not much is known about it,
not even when it was built, but these are the ruins of Saint John's Chapel. This view is incredible... This is why I love mountains! The ancient necropolis. Finally, it's time to visit Monsanto Castle! In order to build a defensive line and
strengthen his presence in the region, king Afonso Henriques granted
Monsanto to the Knights Templar, in the year 1165. The castle was built by the
Templars shortly afterwards. It originally had the traditional
architecture of the Knights Templar, seen in other castles of the same period, such as Almourol, and Tomar, the headquarters
of the Knights Templar. The links to all these videos
are in the description below. Cistern of the castle. The castle was rebuilt in the late 13th century. If you're a fan of the House of the Dragon
TV series you probably recognize this... In 1496, the citadel of the
castle had 309 inhabitants. Chapel of Saint Mary, built in the 18th century. By 1527, during the
"Numeramento" (medieval census), this citadel had 494 inhabitants. In the early 19th century, the castle underwent renovation
works to strengthen its defenses. A military garrison was installed in 1813, and the keep began to be used as an armory, where a large number of
powder kegs were stored. However, in 1815, during
a severe lightning storm, the powder kegs exploded, which led to
the complete destruction of the keep, and a large part of the rest of the castle. This tragic event was made worse
by the collapse of a granite cliff, which took part of the defensive wall with it. With the end of the municipality
of Monsanto, in 1853, the castle lost its importance
and was abandoned by the military. In the Game of Thrones /
House of the Dragon universe, Dragonstone is an island that has a
heavily fortified castle of the same name. In 2021, Monsanto was chosen to
be the setting for Dragonstone. Remember the Chapel of Saint Miguel? The first season of House of
the Dragon premiered in 2022, consisting of ten episodes. The second season of House of the Dragon
is set to premiere on June 16, 2024, consisting of 8 episodes. The high elevation of Monsanto provides
breathtaking panoramic views... ...of the surrounding landscape. If you'd like to support the channel visit:
BuyMeACoffee.com/POVTours I hope you've enjoyed today's video! If you liked this video hit the LIKE
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