Wamba, The Last Great King of the Visigoths

The Castle in Vila Velha de Ródão although its original building is traditionally attributed to Wamba (672-680), the last great king of the Visigoths, more modern authors believe that the structure can be traced back to a watchtower from the time of the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula.

At the time of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the context of the statement of independence of Portugal, in the twelfth century, this structure was rebuilt, probably by order of the elements of the Templars, same time it was erected a small chapel under the invocation of Our Lady . It is actually in a tower-watchtower, built on a cliff overlooking the Tagus River, about calls Ródão doors, a narrowing in the course of the river.
From the top of its walls, must visit viewpoint, the visitor reveals exceptional panoramic of the Tagus valley.
Currently, the set was classified as a Public Interest, by decree published on 30 November 1993. At that time, the tower-watchman and the Chapel of Our Lady of the Castle were in an advanced state of degradation, the latest victim of successive thefts.
Since 1998, the Alto Tejo Studies Association and the Municipality of Vila Velha de Ródão lead the development of a comprehensive project to retrain and take advantage of this heritage.