Travel Guide Marvão

Situated on one of the peaks of the Serra de São Mamede (900 m above sea level), it's a veritable nest perched on the summit of a granite mountain. Along with Monsaraz, it is one of the country's most beautiful medieval fortified villages. Located 13 kilometers from Castelo de Vide, the citadel offers a view of infinity. Everything seems to have remained intact, from the fortified castle to the parapet walk, from the streets to the houses. Marvão, founded in the 1st century AD and called Ammaia in Roman times, owes its present name to the Moors. Around the 9th century, the fortress of Amaia-o-Monte became Amaia de Ibn Maruan, derived from the name of Ibn Marwan al-il'liqui, leader of the Sufi movement in Al-Andaluz. The latter took up arms against the Emir of Cordoba and chose this impregnable fortress as his kingdom, until the establishment of the Caliphate of Cordoba in 931. The Reconquest against the Moors in 1160 by Afonso Henriques passed through Marvão, but the castle was consolidated by Denis I in 1299, who disputed the stronghold with his brother Afonso. The War of the Restoration of Independence (1641-1648) against the Castilians made Marvão a strategic location. The fortifications were rehabilitated to cope with the new war artillery of the time, transforming the castle into a veritable impregnable citadel. The parapet walk is in perfect condition. The village-museum officially has 645 inhabitants, but only less than 120 year-round.