Melgaço and Monção: a must-see journey to the two most genuine villages in Portugal

Statue of Black Inês

Inês negra was a woman of the people faithful to the cause of the independence of Portugal, at the beginning of the reign of D. João I. Legend has it that the "Arrenegada", a long-standing enemy of Inês Negra challenged Inês from the top of the walls, proposing that the dispute be resolved between them.

Melgaço Castle / Museology Nucleus Torre de Menagem

At the top of a hill overlooking the village, we find this ancient fortification, testimony to the first moments of Portuguese nationality. It was built by Dom Afonso Henriques in the 12th / 13th century. There is only one quadrangular church with three floors and a roof, and part of the old medieval village.

Located in an old watchtower, it offers superb views over the surrounding hills and the historic centre of the village, with its narrow streets and stone houses. Strolling in the intramural zone, those who visit feel relieved to the background, such as the grandeur of the structure and the views it provides.

Built to reinforce the authority of the newly created kingdom of Portugal, this castle played an important role in defending the border of the Alto Minho.

It is in this quadrangular tower that, at the moment, we can find the Museological Nucleus of the Tower of Menagem. Here you can know a little about the architectural, historical and cultural heritage of Melgaço. Circling along its three floors, one discovers the history of the county, from the prehistoric period to the Contemporary Age.

A great place to start your discovery in Melgaço where you can even request information about other monuments to visit, where to eat and where to sleep. Come and fall in love with Melgaço!

Manor of Alvarinho

It would be a serious fault to go through Melgaço and not to know the Solar do Alvarinho, a house from the 17th century, Mother House of the Alvarinho Wine Route and also nicknamed "Edifício dos Três Arcos". Inaugurated in 1997 in the building that previously housed the Town Hall and the chain, this space arose to supply the need for a place that would promote and publicize the famous Alvarinho wine.

Surely you have already tasted this famous variety from the Monção-Melgaço sub-region. Otherwise, this is the ideal place for a try!

Here it is also possible to know other typical products, which approximates those who visit us from the traditional and cultural roots of the people of Melgaço. Traversing its two floors, there is a room of evidence, where are exposed all the Alvarinho wine brands produced in the county; a meeting room to host lectures, meetings and temporary exhibitions; a support bar where you have the opportunity to comfort the stomach with several regional delicacies and find some rarities, such as Alvarinho fermented in wood, the sparkling wine and Alvarinho brandy; and also a shop where you can buy handicraft items (such as embroidery, lace and linen), ham, sausage, bread, honey and mead. An endless number of mouth-watering delicacies ... You will not resist carrying a few bottles and some smoke as a souvenir!

Mother Church of Melgaço

Among the narrow alleys of the historical centre of the village is the Mother Church, also known as the Church of Santa Maria da Porta - a name that was borrowed for being near the main door of the primitive castle.

Although its construction dates back to 1187, the configuration that we can appreciate today is the result of successive remodelling. It was greatly altered in the Baroque period, yet there remain two interesting Romanesque portals that are worth admiring.

Go through one of these portals, which is located on the main façade, taking advantage of the inside, where, in the left side chapel, a retable dating to the end of the 16th century, by António Figueiroa, stands out.

Back outside, watch out for the bell tower and the details surrounding the portal. Turning around the church, he finds, on the north side, an interesting figure in relief over the portal - according to some authors, it is a wolf, while others claim to be a lion. A peculiar detail in a building of a religious nature.

After absorbing all these details, take advantage of the proximity to some regional restaurants to take a break to comfort the stomach.

Church of Mercy

In the lively Vila de Melgaço there is a vast religious heritage of high architectural interest. Among the various churches, chapels and hermitages, stands out the mercy Church, also known as the Church of Santa Maria do Campo.

It is right in the historic centre of the village this pleasant Romanesque building, dating from the thirteenth century, next to the House of the Consistory.

When crossing the arch portal of two archivolts and entering the interior, one can admire, in the centre of the crossing arch, an emblem with the arms of Mercy. Also worth mentioning are the gilded altarpieces, Mannerist and Baroque, and the neoclassical altarpiece.

In its churchyard, do not miss the two medieval anthropomorphic graves. Then discover the narrow streets that surround it, where you can find several restaurants and cafes where to take a break before resuming the walk.

Archaeological Ruins of the Republic Square

The Archaeological Ruins of the Republic Square are an original museum nucleus located in the centre of the Village. Lying beneath the ground, you have to go down a few stairs, which lead you to an interesting medieval moat.

Here one can observe a collection of well-preserved archaeological ruins and some vestiges related to the old fortress. Passing through the moat, some remains of a breastplate in stone and several sidewalks dating from different eras are visible. To help you better understand what you see, there are some information panels that refer us to the Vila's defensive system from the 13th to the 17th century.

Also make sure to repair other exposed parts, which were discovered during the excavation of the site, such as a catapult projectile and several throwing stones.

Come visit part of the medieval history of Melgaço, taking the opportunity to stroll through this beautiful square, where there are buildings of great architectural and historical interest.

Memory And Border Space Museum

One of the most interesting museum spaces in Melgaço is the Memory and Frontier Space. Inserted in the former municipal slaughterhouse building – refurbished and expanded in 2007 – this museum has as its theme the contemporary history of the municipality, with emphasis on emigration and smuggling.

Through its rooms, those who visit him enter the world of illegal emigration of the 60s and 70s, knowing all the moments, from the causes, the preparation of the trip and the trip itself, to the arrival and experience in the host country. A perfect social portrait of the hundreds of children of the land that Melgaço saw leaving, not forgetting the reflections of this exodus in the county.

It is here also made a picture of the contraband that made living in the underground so many melgacences. Also noteworthy are the documented royal testimonies that transport to the time when one was going "to jump" abroad. A museum made of memories of real people.

The space also has, as it could not fail to be, a service office for emigrants and immigrants.

Let this modern museum lead you through the stories of history, looking a little at the two most striking social phenomena of Melgaço.

Fonte: cmmelgaço

Soalheiro Wine Farm

Soalheiro, a pioneer in the creation of Alvarinho wine in Melgaço, is an international benchmark for the wines of this grape variety, blending perfectly into the distinctive Minho landscape surrounding it. In the nineteen seventies (1974), a passion for winemaking led João António Cerdeira, with the support of his father, António Esteves Ferreira, to plant the first Alvarinho vine and to create the first brand of Alvarinho in Melgaço in 1982, and one of the first Alvarinho brands in the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço.

Reguengo wine farm (Opcional)

The lovers of Alvarinho wine cannot miss; along with a visit to the Solar do Alvarinho, Reguengo wine farm. This production farm of this famous caste, framed by vineyards and bathed by the Minho River, offers superb views over the mountains of Peneda-Gerês.

This old manor house dating from the seventeenth century belonged to the Castros family, the mca-mores of Melgaço and Castro Laboreiro. The architectural beauty of the mother house, the chapel and the fountain, being a splendid example of Romanesque architecture, deserve a close look.

Integrated in the Wine Route Alvarinho, this farm has a specialized wine cellar, where we can taste the palate of this famous wine from the Melgaço and Monção sub-region, highlighting the house brand - Reguengo de Melgaço, already awarded in several national competitions and international organizations.

Come and taste this unique variety, which only grows in the Iberian Peninsula, with its light and fresh palate, its citrine color and its delicate aroma.

Brejoeira Palace

It was built in neoclassical style from the beginning of the 19th century. It is located in Pinheiros, and has been classified as a National Monument since 1910. Inside, we can be dazzled by figurative tiles, silverware, and oriental dishes, black. The exterior offers inspiring walks through the gardens and plantations of Alvarinho.

Alvarinho Museum

Located in the Curro house, it provides a trip around the world of Alvarinho wine, providing interactive information about the origin, evolution and companies dedicated to the production of this true ex. libris of the municipality of Monção.

Statue of the Danaide / Coat of Arms Deu-la-Deu Martins

Built by the Town Hall in 1837, it is a circular tank fountain with a prism-shaped base that supports the statue of the Greek mythological figure Danaide, wearing a tunic and a sieve. From 1869 the coat of Monção was placed with the figure of Deu-la-Deu Martins, heroine of the earth, placed in the center of the base.

Fonte: cmmonção

Sculpture at Deu-la-Deu Martins

It is a contemporary work by João Cutileiro, who represents the legendary figure of Deu-la-Deu Martins, a local heroine, leaning over the Rio Minho protecting his people.

Monção Fortress Walls

The Monção Walls, a national monument by decree dated June 16, 1910, provide a tranquil and inspiring "walk" in the company of a breath-taking "look" over the Minho River, the Galician Riviera and the Caldas Park.

Mother Church

Romanesque temple dating from the 13th century that "knew" some changes and restorations over the centuries. Here are chapels in memory of Deu-la-Deu Martins, local heroine, and of Vasco Marinho, secretary and confessor of Pope Leo X.

Panel of tiles of João Verde

A poet of the monastic letters, João Verde describes in the poem "A Galiza mai`lo Minho" the "courtship" between the people of the ray and the difficulty of "marriage" due to the political system in force in the two countries. In front, lies the bust of the writer.

Lapela Tower

In Gothic style and located under a granite outcrop, on the bank the Lapela Tower, considered in the nineteenth century as the Tower of Belém do Minho, provides a fabulous panoramic view of the river Minho, the Galician bank and the Lapela village.

Sanctuary of the Lord of Bonfim (Opcional)

Located in the deepest part of the parish, it is of simple construction with three altars: The high altar, the one of the heart of Jesus and the one of our lady of Fatima. The Chapel of Senhor do Bonfim was built in 1868 and its tower in 1958.