Countie

Vila Velha de Ródão

County’s Brief description - Vila Velha de Ródão is a small county in terms of its territorial dimension and population, but it has enormous wealth in terms of natural, cultural and historical heritage. It is a an open doors county that knows how to welcome its visitors, and it is also in solidarity with those who live in the region, seeking to provide them with the best possible quality of life.

Castelo de Ródão or Castelo do Rei Wamba - King Wamba’s Castle rises on a cliff overlooking the Tagus River, over the Portas de Ródão, in a place of surprising beauty and great strategic importance. It is believed that its origin goes back to the Muslim occupation time and it is related to the donation of the territory of Açafa, by D. Sancho I, to the Order of the Temple, in 1199, although a previous origin is admitted and the oral tradition associates it to the visigoth King Wamba. The watchtower was erected, in the 12th to 13th centuries, by indication of the Templars. A few meters away is the Nossa Senhora do Castelo temple.

Portas de Rodão -

Lagar de Varas - This county is located northeast of the Cabeço das Pesqueiras neighborhood, on the left bank of the Enxarrique stream, close to the Tagus river, in Vila Velha de Ródão. Lagar de Varas is presented in a territorial perspective framed in all types of heritage associated with the production of olive oil existing in the county, with historical and current testimonies: from olive groves in the various stages of olive production to the mills of traditional technologies and technology cutting edge software currently operating.

Tagus Valley Rock Art Complex - It is one of the most important collection of post-paleolithic art in Europe, consisting of more than 20,000 prints scattered over 40 km from both banks of the Tagus River. The Cave Painting Art Interpretation Center do Vale do Tejo (CIART) was opened in 2012 and its main mission is to support the study and preservation of this vast archaeological heritage, disseminating it to the public through a permanent exhibition, where the different cultural expressions of Tagus valley pre-inhabitants are interpreted.