| CONSTÂNCIA |
With its whitewashed houses and narrow
cobbled streets, Constância is one of the prettiest towns
in the Tagus Valley. Once a Roman town, it is conveniently situated
at the confluence of the Zêzere and Tagus rivers.
It was here that the British Army assembled in the Peninsular
War to prepare their march into Spain for the Battle of Talavera,
in which Wellington conquered the French in July 1809.
What to see. The Casa dos Arcos is traditionally the
house where the great 16th-century poet, Luís Vaz de
Camões (1524-80), was forced to live after falling in
love with Catarina d'Ataide, a court lady under the eye of King
João III, who he later referred to as Natercia in his
sonnets. Every Sunday, market stalls line the river bank below,
providing visitors the chance to buy souvenirs and local handicrafts
of the surrounding region.
Nearby. A few kilometres west of Constância stands
the much-photographed Castle of Almourol. Occupying an island
in the middle of the River Tagus, it was a Roman fortress rebuilt
in 1171 by Gualdim Pais, Grand Master of the Templars and builder
of Tomar. The castle is also said to be haunted on moonlit nights
by the ghost of a Moorish prince who died for the love of his
captor's daughter. |
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| © 2007 Maisturismo |
