2-376-920 - Samuel Magal/Sites & Photos/Heritage Images

Monsanto, Portugal, 2009. The fortified village of Monsanto lies on the side of a mountain, southeast of Serra da Estrela. In the middle of the 17th century, Luis de Haro, Minister for Filipe IV, unsuccessfully tried to lay siege to the village. Early in the 18th century, the Duke of Berwick also laid siege to Monsanto but the Portuguese Army, commanded by the Marquis of Minas, defeated the invader on the slopes of the hill. In 1758, Monsanto became a municipality, a privelege which it kept until 1853. In the 19th century, the imposing Castle of Monsanto was partly destroyed by an accidental explosion in the munitions storeroom.