Video: Houses made of stone and in stone. The stunning city of Monsanto
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Houses made of stone - barely hewn, preserving the natural harmony of a piece of rock - will never become obsolete. And although they cost many times more than those built using modern technologies, there are still people who are ready to pay for a real style with money or labor. A the most unusual and colorful stone houses stand in the Portuguese town of Monsanto: for hundreds of years, local residents have attached their houses to huge boulders, and as a result, they have created a real harmony of stone.
A lonely village (or, in European terms, a town) Monsanto sits on the Serra da Estrela mountains, which separate the fertile coastal plains of Portugal from the Spanish expanses. Obviously, in the interests of security, it was once decided to found a village on a rocky hill. Natural protection from raids had to be paid for with great difficulty: every stone house in Monsanto was literally recaptured from the mountain. The only plus - there was no shortage of building materials. In addition to residential buildings, a small castle once stood here.
Thanks to its special layout, Monsanto has practically not changed over the past centuries: there is nowhere to build something new here, and it is a pity to demolish the old one. This made the town a national treasure of the country. Back in 1938, Monsanto was recognized as "the most Portuguese village in Portugal". Additional building restrictions turned it into a "museum city".
Getting to Monsanto is not easy: it is far from cities, and you have to drive along a mountain road for a long time. But the city is not teeming with tourists. However, photographers often go here in search of new frames: stone houses in Monsanto make an incredible impression, especially in cloudy weather.
Particularly popular among tourists are the remains of a medieval castle, a very charming stone temple and terraces on the roofs of houses from which a wonderful view opens up. You can find crosses on almost all stone houses: Jesus Christ is the official patron saint of Monsanto. Although for this role, perhaps, the Apostle Peter would have been better suited.
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