Idanha-a-Velha

Idanha-a-Velha, in the heart of the Beira Interior, is one of the most remarkable archaeological villages of Portugal: an ancient city — the Roman Egitania — that became an episcopal seat and a village of stone, keeping within its walls the ruins of two thousand years of history. The Roman bridge over the Pônsul and the old cathedral make it one of the great stops of the historic border.

The village

The Roman city of Egitania grew beside the bridge over the Pônsul, on the old road to Mérida, and became capital of the bishopric of Egitania in the Visigothic period. Its cathedral — the church that succeeded the first Christian temple — and the ring of walls enclose a village that lives among the ruins of its Roman and medieval past, between granite houses and olive trees.

What to see

• The old cathedral, on the site of the Visigothic see.
• The Roman bridge and the road walls of the old city.
• The stone houses and streets inside the walls.
• The landscapes of the Idanha country, between the Pônsul and the Tejo.

Visiting

Idanha-a-Velha belongs to the municipality of Idanha-a-Nova and lies within reach of Monsanto and Castelo Branco. The village and its monuments are explored on foot; the archaeological sites have their own visiting conditions, published with the official information of the municipality and the regional entities that manage them.

Nearby

The village of Monsanto and the city of Castelo Branco complete the crossing of this old border country.

Information: cm-idanhanova.pt.

Image credit: Idanha-a-Velha, by Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.