Description Monforte

Monforte is a Portuguese town in the Portalegre District, Alentejo region and Alto Alentejo sub-region, with 1,380 inhabitants (2011).

It is the seat of a municipality with 420.25 km² of area and 3 329 inhabitants (2011), subdivided into 4 parishes. The municipality is limited to the west and north by the municipalities of Crato and Portalegre, to the east by Arronches and Elvas, to the southwest by Borba and Estremoz, to the west by Fronteira and to the northwest by Alter do Chão.

Monforte is located approximately halfway between the cities of Estremoz and Portalegre. Therefore, in addition to other existing alternative connections, the most used way to reach the village is through IP2.

“Sagrado & Profano em Monforte” is a permanent exhibition, installed in the Church of Santa Maria Madalena, composed of panels of explanatory texts, illustrated with photographs, providing accurate information about the heritage of the Municipality and brings together a collection of pieces of sacred art, implements liturgical and ancient documents belonging to the Monforte Parish Factory.

Located at 825 meters above sea level, Castelo de Monforte is also known as Castelo de Santo António. From the primitive structure there is a walled enclosure and an imposing Keep.

The gastronomy in the municipality of Monforte is, in essence, identical to that found in other regions of the Alentejo. However, some more typical dishes can be highlighted, with mandatory reference to migas (bread or potato) with fried spare ribs, dogfish soup (or alhada), tomato soup, purslane soup, coriander or pennyroyal açorda, lamb stew, pork sausage, chickpea soup with meat and without forgetting the traditional lamb roasts for Easter.