The museum restaurant is a place to recover the traditional flavors of our cuisine. Through an investigation always renewed the tradition of the national table resurfaces daily.

The whole complex (museum and restaurant) is closed on Monday.

Quinta Fonte do Marrão – 6270 Seia

museu@museudopao.pt
Serra da Estrela – Portugal
GPS coordinates Latitude: 40.41988 Longitude: 7.69728
or alternatively Latitude: 40 ° 25’10.59 “N Longitude: 7 ° 41’46.21″ W

But the biggest attraction is undoubtedly the castle of Linhares, with its imposing towers. Its origins are even older, but the way in which the castle can be seen today date in much of the thirteenth century.

The Linhares da Beira Castle is located in the village and Parish of Linhares da Beira, Celorico Municipality of Beira, District of Guarda, Portugal.

Situated on a rocky hill in northwest foothills of the Serra da Estrela, dominates the valley of the river Mondego. Your last dives into the legends and is considered one of the most important medieval fortifications of Beira Interior.

The medieval castle

The road communication facility have not left Linhares oblivious to the events of the Christian Reconquista of the peninsula. Some authors have questioned whether the Linhares mentioned among other villages in the granting of a charter undated, by King Ferdinand I of León, would this village in Beira, or the same name, in the Douro.

With the independence of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, in order to promote their settlement and defense, granted it a charter in 1169. This privilege was confirmed in 1217 by Alfonso II.

The first historical reference to the castle dates from sometime in the first three years of the reign of Sancho I (late twelfth century), connected to an invasion of that stretch of the border by the kingdom of Leon forces. They were mayors of Linhares Castle and the Beira Celorico Castle respectively brothers Rodrigo and Gonçalo Mendes. Finding the latter surrounded in Celorico attacker, Rodrigo rushed to the people of Celorico to the aid of his brother, achieving victory under the invocation of Our Lady of the Azores, in devotion to whom they erected a chapel halfway between both locations, and makes each year a pilgrimage to May 3.

Although not known to primitive setting of this castle, is believed to have shown traces of the Romanesque style, with the keep isolated inside the parade ground and engaging about adapted to the terrain. In the reign of King Afonso III in the inquiries of 1258, it is mentioned that the residents of Sátão were required to anúduva (aid in the repair of military structures) in the castles of the Guard and Linhares, which shows, together with the strategic importance the latter on the defensive framework of the kingdom at the time that you were being proceeded works.

Under the reign of King Dinis, just as expressive in the Portuguese fortifications in the period, a new campaign works took place in Linhares. This sovereign donated the fields of town and its castle to his son, Jonathan Sanchez.

The town and its castle were involved in the second war that Ferdinand moved against Henry of Castile, being surrounded and taken by the forces of this when, invading Portugal by Beira, in early 1373, marched to Viseu de Almeida, and hence on Lisbon . With the death of Ferdinand, to open the crisis of 1383-1385, the mayor of Linhares, Martim Afonso de Melo, took the side of Beatrice and John I of Castile, as indeed did much of the main Portuguese nobility. Been falling under the Master of Avis domain, this gave the landlord of the village Egas Coelho, Hidalgo your confidence (14 August 1384), soon succeeded by Martin Vasques da Cunha that would highlight, in front of the people of Linhares in the battle of Trancoso in spring 1385.

With peace, the castle lost its strategic role, his absence news until the seventeenth century, when the public clock in the tower was installed.

Serra da Estrela cheese, King of Portuguese Cheese

Queijo Serra da Estrela is a cheese made in mountainous region of Serra da Estrela in Portugal, which has been granted PDO status in the European Union.

The region where the Serra da Estrela cheese can be manufactured is limited to an area of 3,143.16 km², which comprises the municipalities of Celorico da Beira, Fornos de Algodres, Gouveia, Mangualde, Manteigas, Nelas, Oliveira do Hospital, Penalva do Castelo, Carregal do Sal, and Seia.

The production of the cheese has to follow very rigorous rules. It is made from sheep’s milk, mostly during the months of November to March. Its maturation period has specific norms and must last thirty days at least. The texture of the paste varies depending on its age, from a very soft semi-liquid when young, to a soft but sliceable solid when older. It is a cured cheese created by artisanal producers with a white or slightly yellow color and a uniform creamy consistency with at most a few small holes in it. Its particular qualities result from slow draining of curdled raw sheep’s milk which has been coagulated by using local Cynara cadunculusthistle rather than rennet.

The cheese is formed into a somewhat irregular wheel with slightly bulging sides and upper surface. It typically has a soft well-formed rind, smooth and thin with a uniform straw-yellow colour, and is traditionally bound in cloth.

Burel,  traditional Portuguese woollen fabric

The most medieval fabric Portuguese is back and this time, does not stop the highlands of the country. From Serra da Estrela to Japan, the burel has been conquering the world.

Made from 100% pure wool, woolen cloth has long been the fabric elected by the highlanders of generations of Portuguese highlands. By “large thermal comfort” provided and its “natural waterproofing”, the sackcloth was used to protect from the cold and shelter those most exposed to low temperatures, for example, the shepherds.

You can find several products like blankets, shawls, and scarves, reusing and recreating old patterns with contemporary shapes and colours.

The point is located on the edge of the parishes of Unhais da Serra (Covilha), St. Peter (Butters) Loriga (Seia) and Alvoco da Serra (Seia), and therefore belonging to three municipalities: Covilha, Butters and Seia . The tower also gives the name to the locality where it is located, the highest part of serra.

The actual altitude of this area is 1993 m, as arrangements introduced by measurements taken by the Army Geographic Institute. Precisely at the highest point the tower was built, a geodetic milestone that marks the highest point of the Serra da Estrela. There is a large gazebo which shows a clear view of the landscape of valleys embedded in a contact zone between schist and granite, cut by several courses of water. The lowest temperatures of Portugal are recorded on the summit of Serra da Estrela, coming even reach -20 ° C in winter.

Stunning View

The Tower is famous for snowfall during the winter months, attracting a large number of tourists. During the summer, on a clear day, the view can cover up the sea, seeing in the distance the Figueira area Foz.

On site there is a restaurant and shops with local food, such as cheese of Serra da Estrela, Vodafone Ski Resort and a recorded monument on the rock in honor of Our Lady of Good Star, patroness of pastores.

The glaciation (which occurred 20,000 years) led to the existence of perpetual snow that melted and made compact. He graduated so an icy summit at the Presidential Tower, this would have an area of 70 km2 and 80 m thick.

These valleys have originated in the passage of ice languages that have shaped through its strength to escoarem from the cone tower. These tongues of ice formed due to a progressive increase of temperature, although always negative.

There are five routes outlined by ice:

- Zêzere Glacier Valley, the largest in Europe;

- Alforfa Glacier Valley;

- Loriga Glacier Valley Glacier;

- Valley Covão Grande;

- Valley Covão Urso(Bear) Glacier.

Coat

The Estrela Mountain dog comes in two coat types. Both types should have coat resembling the texture of goat hair.

Long coat: The thick, slightly coarse outer coat lies close over the body and may be flat or slightly waved, but never curly. Undercoat is very dense and normally lighter in color than the outer coat. The hair on the front sides of the legs and the head is short and smooth. Hair on the ears diminishes in length from the base of the ears to the tips. The hair on the neck, the buttocks, the tail, and the back side of the legs is longer resulting in a ruff at the neck, breeches on the buttocks and backs of the legs, and feathering on the tail. The males can have a “lion’s mane”.

Short coat: The outer coat is short, thick, and slightly coarse, with a shorter dense undercoat. Any feathering should be in proportion.

Color

Fawn, wolf gray and yellow, with or without brindling, white markings or shadings of black throughout the coat. All colors have a dark facial mask, preferably black. Blue coloration is very undesirable.

Afonso with Zico and Pepe, Still Pupppies

Size

Desirable height for mature males is 25½ – 28½ inches and for mature females is 24½ – 27 inches. Mature males in good working condition weigh between 88 and 110pounds. Mature females in good working condition weigh between 66 and 88 pounds.

Temperament

A large, athletic dog, the Estrela Mountain Dog is a formidable opponent for any predator – fortunately, it is not often called upon to rise to anyone’s life-or-death defense. It is calm but fearless and will not hesitate to react to danger, making it an exceptional watchdog as well as an excellent guard dog. It is intelligent, loyal, and faithful, affectionate to those it knows but wary of those it does not. It is instinctively protective of any children in its family. It needs early and continued socialization to be trustworthy around small pets and other dogs.

It’s important to begin training and socializing the Serra da Estrela dog from puppyhood to nurture its acceptance of different situations. This is a strong independent-minded breed that will need persistent training and consistent leadership. It has a tendency to bark, especially when protecting his or her territory. As with most livestock guardians, the Serra da Estrela dog is not a “pet” for everyone. Strong ownership is paramount.

In the early nineteenth century, the Peninsular War, gives rise to new remodeling, which will last for the demolition of five towers, construction of three new batteries and adaptation of the castle church to magazine, which years later exploded and caused serious damage the castle.

A quota of about 750 meters above sea level, has two distinct grounds enclosed by walls, the Watchtower is situated on the parade ground, where also lies the cistern and the ruins of the Chapel of Our Lady of the Castle. The castle and the Monsanto walls are classified as a National Monument.

Legend: The Feast of the Holy Cross in Monsanto are connected to a legend, which refers to the fortress salvation during an attack, you do not need, it will be done by the Romans or by the Moors. Anyway, this enclosure that lasted for seven years had reached the strength of the surrounded limits, only one calf had already wheat and less able to feed, but as a desperate strategy, suggested that women fed calf with wheat and cast them into the walls. When falling on the rocks, the belly of the calf opened and spread wheat, convincing the enemy that the besieged were well supplied with food and decided to raise the siege. This episode is assigned to the 3rd May, when women wear their best clothes, and the sound of tambourines and popular songs, cast from the walls, white pots, symbolizing the calf saved the village.

The village of Piódão, is located on the slopes of Serra do Açor(Açor Mountain Range).

The dwellings are traditional shale walls, ceiling covered with slabs and wooden doors and windows painted blue. The aspect that artificial light gives it overnight in conjunction by the provision of houses, made received the name of “Village Manger”.

The inhabitants are dedicated mainly to agriculture (corn, potatoes, beans, vineyard), raising livestock (sheep and goats) and in some cases to beekeeping.

The flora is largely composed of chestnuts, olive, pine, heather and gorse. The fauna consists mainly of rabbits, hares, wild boars, foxes, weasels, martens, eagles, hawks, crows, jays, partridges and small rodents.

Currently, the desertification of inland areas affects almost all villages of this parish. Younger populations emigrated abroad or to the coastal areas in search of better living conditions, return to their origins, especially during festive seasons to relive the past and being reunited with their counterparts.

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.