Trip to Monte Pilar - Castelo de Lanhoso | Portugal

Going back in time, on a day that was marked by deviation on the right at that roundabout where we passed again and again towards Gerês without ever giving in to the curiosity of visiting that building that peek at the top of Monte Pilar, the largest granite monolith in the country, and stands out for its gray tones from the rest of the surrounding area.

Today we are going to dedicate this time and this space to the castle of Póvoa de Lanhoso, or as it is known, the Castle of Lanhoso, from which there remains, as a glorious reminder of that distant past, the menage Tower, the only part of the castle that managed to escape to the devastating fury of men and time.
The date of its construction is not exactly known, but considering the artifices that have been found in that area, everything points to its origin in Roman times.

There are also several stories of wars and conquests that took place in this place of such a remote foundation, which, serving as a vigilant sentinel and resistant obstacle, contributed to the liberation of Portuguese soil and the affirmation of our Independence, sharing its importance in history with the other Portuguese castles.
There is a very ancient and dramatic legend associated with this castle, of failed loves and tragic endings.
The history records that D. Rodrigo Pereira de Barredo, a nobleman of high nobility, one day receives the heartbreaking news that his wife was betraying him.
The nobleman, after confirming this unpleasant news, waited for the night and closed all doors by surprise, thus preventing all the people who were in the castle that night from getting out, and set fire to the castle that burned completely, killing all those who remained in it .
Most likely you are thinking the same as me… the guy was completely crazy!
But as they say, the legend tells! If it was true? I don't know, I wasn't there to see it.

The castle is quite small compared to others that exist in these areas, compared to Bragança or Guimarães for example, but even so a completely worth visit.
Unfortunately we chose a time to make the visit when only the main door of the castle was open but the entrance to the tower was closed, which turned out to be unfortunate, as inside it is possible to visit the Museum, which has recently been revalued and in which, in addition to observing the entire museum space, there is still the possibility of climbing to the top of the tower, a unique viewpoint over the neighboring territory, which would provide a prominent position to take incredible photos I believe.

The Castle is a unique monument, both for its rich history and location, and it is clearly the greatest heritage reference in the municipality, assuming itself as a differentiating element in the landscape and awakening several unique senses to those who visit this unique space.

At the top of this Monte Pilar, which is nothing less than the largest granite monolith in the country, we can also visit the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora do Pilar, which was built in the late 17th century with stones reused from the walls of the castle itself in honor to the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Braga, this being a replica of Bom Jesus, a church, staircase and chapels of pilgrimage were built inside the enclosure.

In one of the buildings below, they are now building a restaurant in a building that looks somewhat medieval and contemporary, which at the time of our visit was still under construction.

Interesting space to visit and to take some interesting photos, I have to go back there.

That´s all for today :)

See you soon

Thank you for watching :)

All photos presented in this article are my own

@aleister