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Situated in the heart
of the vinho verde demarcated wine region, Povoa de
Lanhoso is famous for its granite quarrying and cutting
industries and its remarkable goldsmith´s work (filigree).
The castle built on
the top of the hill known as Monte do Pilar is the most
important monument in the region - it stands on the
largest granite monolith in Portugal, perhaps even in
the whole of the Iberian Peninsula. According to
tradition, D. Teresa, the mother of the first king of
Portugal was held prisoner there in the twelfth century
after the Battle of Sao Mamede, in which mother and son
fought on opposite sides.
In the seventeenth
century, the monastery of Nossa Senhora do Pilar was
built next to the castle. In the nearby village of Fonte
Arcada is a twelfth-century Romanesque church that is
well worth a visit. An adventure park is set in the
mountains, a short drive from the town centre.
For more information
about other regions, click on the following links:
(Information provided
by Portuguese tourism board)
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