Castelo Mendo is a historic village with medieval roots, marked by two walls: the oldest, dating from the 12th century, surrounds the old town with its castle and the church of Santa Maria; the second, built by King Dinis in the 14th century, protected the Gothic suburb. The site was a living border between Portugal and León until the Treaty of Alcanices (1297), guarding strategic passages over the Côa River. At the entrance, two Vetón bellows, stone figures in the shape of wild boars, recall even more remote origins. Classified as a Property of Public Interest since 1984, Castelo Mendo today stands as a rare testament to the border region's history and Portuguese medieval splendor.
Castelo Mendo is surrounded by a fortified wall with six medieval gates. Two wild boar sculptures stand to the left and right of the main entrance. The simple stone houses originally consisted of two floors. The ground floor housed livestock, while the upper floor served as a residential building. The extremely narrow streets made it relatively easy to defend the town, which was repeatedly a battlefield during the wars in which Portugal participated, especially against Spain.
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