Melgaço – Historical centre. Fortress and Alvarinho´s Solar

About this heritage

Melgaço is a town belonging to Viana do Castelo´s district, located in the most northern part of Portugal. It is known for its wines, hot springs and its historical centre. It borders the Galician town of Arbo where the river separates both countries.

At the top of the town, acting as a fortress, is the Torre del Homenaje (Homage Tower) surrounded by the historical centre and the city walls. The remains that are still preserved are on one hand the part of the primitive castle and the walls of the town from the thirteenth century and on the other hand recent fortifications from the seventeenth century on the occasion of the Hispanic-Portuguese struggles.

In addition to the tower, the thick walls, the entrance gate and the parade ground stands out, where a large cistern can be seen.

The interior of the homage tower houses a small museum and interpretation centre called Núcleo Museológico da Torre de Menagem, which covers the history of the town, the castle and the past of the Melgaço´s region.

The historical centre is an architectural ensemble in medieval style, consisting of small, cobbled streets surrounded by buildings of no more than 3 floors that have been restored and are in a perfect state of preservation.

Its Igreja Matriz, also known as the Church of Santa Maria da Porta is located near the main door of the primitive´s castle. Despite the fact that the construction dates from 1187, the configuration that we can see today is the result of the successive remodelling to which it was subjected. And, although it underwent numerous modifications during the Baroque period, two interesting Romanesque doors remain, which are worth admiring. Inside, in the left side chapel, there is an altarpiece dating from the end of the 16th century, whose author is António Figueiroa.

The examples of civil architecture stand out, such as Alvarinho´s solar, a small stone palace dedicated to the promotion and dissemination of the Alvarinho and the Green Wine, which encouraged the development and dynamization of the rural environment. It also promotes local crafts and other typical products that extol the culture of the region.

To learn more

Melgaço is located on a mound whose highest point is 190 meters, a strategic place to control this part of the Miño river. The village’s history development is linked to the river and the confrontations between the Spanish and Portuguese crowns.

The city began to grow around the castle of which there is evidence since the end of the 12th century. In its centre you can see the Romanesque features of the Misericórdia church (Mercy church), the Alvarinho´s solar, the Matriz church, several archaeological ruins preserved and remains and doors of the ancient wall.

This town is also known for its thermal waters, which are provided by the geological characteristics of the Miño river and which favours the formation of thermal springs that have historically been exploited for their health benefits. Near the centre there is a spring known as Termas das Águas do Peso.

It seems that in 1884 the wife of a well-known doctor from Vila Nova de Cerveira cured her stomach ailments thanks to these waters. In 1885, the first mineralised, gas-carbonic, bicarbonate, calcium/magnesium and ferruginous waters were bottled, with a temperature of 15°C and a pH of 6. They are recommended for diabetes and cholesterol treatments.

Over time these facilities fell into disuse, but they were recently refurbished and the spa is open all year round. You can visit the park where a small stream passes, the Bouça Nova, crossed by a bridge from the 18th century at the bottom. The Fonte Principal (main fountain) from 1909 and Fonte Nova (new fountain) from 1953, also known as Galería Nova. The imposing iron building designed by the engineer Luís Couto dos Santos and known as the Buvete in 1909 and another smaller iron building also known as O Balneario (1919) stand out. You can see the old Engarrafamento Office and the Peso´s Hotel.

To know it better

Melgaço´s historical centre, in medieval style, is made up of narrow cobbled streets. It contains the walls of Melgaço and the Homage Tower. This tower and the nucleus of the castle are at the top of the village and they claim that, in the past, there was a fortress that protected the municipality. In addition, the views of Galicia and the Peneda Gerês National Park from the top of the Miño river are impressive.

On the other hand, in the historical part of the “Edifício dos Três Arcos" (three arches building), you can visit the Alvarinho´s solar. It is a small stone palace inaugurated in 1997 that is dedicated to the Alvarinho and Green Wine.

Melgaço is a small village in the north of Portugal, located in Viana do Castelo´s district. It is connected to neighbouring Spain via the Arbo border bridge. This is a town well known for its nature, its wines and wineries and also for its thermal waters.