MONFORTE DA BEIRA
N 39.73937º; W 7.29676º
Monforte da Beira is a Portuguese parish in the municipality of Castelo Branco, with an area of 120.36 km² and 320 inhabitants (2021 census). Its population density is 2.7 inhabitants/km².
Toponymy: Monforte has as its etymological origin the words monte and forte. This is a reference to an old hillfort, the ruins of which can still be found today on a hill near the village.
Located in the extreme south of the municipality, Monforte da Beira is approximately 27 km from the municipality's headquarters, on the right bank of Ribeira de Aravel. Within the Municipality, it is delimited by the extensive Parish of Malpica do Tejo. Outside Castelo Branco, the Municipality of Idanha-a-Nova surrounds it. Very close, Spain. Furthermore, the fact that it is Raiana land conditioned its history and influenced the daily lives of its people.
The settlement of its territory began several millennia ago. Since those immemorial times, the importance of the Tagus River, with regards, in particular, to the fertilization of agricultural fields, fishing or pastoralism, has certainly not been negligible. It is no wonder, then, that the Neolithic people settled here so early. A brass ax with a side ring was found at Monte Barata, which should date back to around 2000 BC.
They were followed by the Romans, committed to developing agriculture in a place that had the right conditions for this purpose. From this historical period there are also several archaeological finds collected in excavations carried out.
The Parish
Monforte da Beira is the easternmost parish that belongs to the municipality of Castelo Branco. It borders the parishes of Malpica do Tejo, Ladoeiro and Rosmaninhal (the latter two belonging to the municipality of Idanha-a-Nova) and Spain. Its area is larger than that of municipalities such as Lisbon or Porto. Part of the parish is included in the Tagus International Natural Park. The closest locations are Ladoeiro (12.2 km), Malpica (12.9 km) and Cegonhas Novas.
In the narrow streets, close to the Church, it is recommended that you do not drive your vehicle. In addition to the difficulties inherent to the narrowness of the streets, you may find cars belonging to people of a known ethnic group poorly parked and even with a flat tire. Common problems in this region. You may also feel uncomfortable with the noise caused by the shots of hunters, who are also very frequent in this region.
