Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BUS
Buses
( 245 901 510)
run to/from Portalegre (€2.60 to €3.35, 20 minutes, one to three
daily), and Lisbon (€17, 4¼ hours, two daily). For Marvão you must change in Portagem.
All buses stop beside the garden (Praça Valéncia de Alcántara). Ask at the
turismo
for
bus times.
TAXI
Taxis
(
245 901 271)
are available from outside the
turismo
.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Marvão
POP 150 / ELEV 862M
On a jutting crag high above the surrounding countryside, the narrow lanes of Marvão feel
like a retreat far removed from the settlements below. The whitewashed village of pictur-
esque tiled roofs and bright flowers has marvellous views, a splendid castle and a handful
of low-key guesthouses and restaurants. Since the 16th century, the town has struggled to
keep inhabitants, and today the friendly locals survive mainly on tourism. It's worth
spending a night here.
Arriving by car or bus you'll approach Portas de Ródão, one of the four village gates,
opening onto Rua de Cima, which has several shops and restaurants. Drivers can park out-
side or enter this gate and park in Largo de Olivença, just below Rua de Cima.
History
Not surprisingly, this garrison town just 10km from the Spanish frontier has long been a
prized possession. Romans settled here, and Christian Visigoths were on the scene when
the Moors arrived in 715. It was probably the Moorish lord of Coimbra, Emir Maraun,
who gave the place its present name.
In 1160 Christians took control. In 1226 the town received a municipal charter, the
walls were extended to encompass the whole summit, and the castle was rebuilt by Dom
Dinis.
Marvão's importance in the defence against the Castilians was highlighted during the
17th-century War of Restoration, when further defences were added. But by the 1800s it
had lost its way, a garrison town without a garrison, and this lack of interest is why so
many 15th- and 16th- century buildings have been preserved. Its last action was at the
