Surrounded by a cork oak forest and giant granite boulders, the chapel of São Pedro de Vir-a-Corça looks small and plain. Insignificant even, as it is the landscape that makes the strongest impression on visitors. It feels wild, mysterious, and ancient. The inselberg, against whose flank this chapel nestles, rises sharply from the surrounding landscape to a height of 758 metres above sea level, and covers an area of 136 km². With its elliptic shape, weathered by hydrothermal action, this rocky outcrop is a unique geological feature that dominates the landscape and can easily be recognised from a distance.

It is called Monsanto, derived from the Latin, Mons Sanctus, which means Holy Mountain.

It is possible that the whole mountain was considered sacred, as no signs of occupation on it have been found for pre-Roman times, and although there is no archaeological evidence for it, there is a strong probability that nature cults worshipped here. With its abundance of water, natural hollows and caves, and predominance of rock forms that stir the imagination, it is a space that feels sacred.

Egitânea (modern-day Idanha-a-Velha), founded by the Romans at the end of the 1^st Century BC, is, as the crow flies, only 5 kilometres away. The many lagar, wine presses and olive mills, cut into the granite rocks, in the area of the nearby villages of Carroqueiro and Adingeiro, are evidence that, in all likelihood, a Roman settlement existed in the area.

The earliest traces of human occupation around the mountain date from the Early Stone Age, but there is also evidence of a Visigoth and Arab presence, infusing the spirit of the place with the whole spectrum of human emotion.

The chapel itself, with its seperate bell tower on a nearby rock, is one of the last examples of religious Romanesque architecture in Portugal, and was first mentioned in 1308 in a letter from King Dinis, granting it an annual fair. In 1450 an agreement was signed between the Bishop of Guarda and Cabido regarding the lease of the chapel to a Gonçalo Afonso. In 1613 the Brotherhood of São Pedro was created, while the 18^th century saw an influx of pilgrims to the site. From 1979 to the present various repairs, restorations, and conservation efforts have been undertaken, with a pile of paving stones waiting patiently to be used next to the cave of Santo Amador.

It is the legend of Saint Amador, a deeply religious hermit who lived in a cave, now hidden behind a wooden door, that is responsible for the name of the chapel. According to the legend he helped a rich woman give birth to a son, but when she died in childbirth she pleaded with the demons/devils to take her child with them, not wanting to leave him alone on earth. As a good Catholic, Amador invoked Saint Peter (São Pedro) to come to the rescue of the baby, who was, a couple of days later delivered to him. As a poor man Amador had no means of supporting the child, and so, once more, called upon his faith for help. With the help of a deer, who passed by daily to nurse the baby until he could eat solid food, the boy was saved.

Notes:

# The town of Monsanto (located between 620 and 670 metres above sea level) is just visible from the chapel (537 metres above sea level), where it has embedded itself against the mountain slope that can be as steep as 65°, but because of the presence of agricultural terraces is in most places only 35°. A clearly marked and maintained hiking trail leads up to the town, and is a great way to explore the chapel, town and surrounding landscape.

# Monsanto is located in the municipality of Idanha-a-Nova, the Castelo Branco district, Central Portugal (in the historic province of Beira Baixa).

# Keep an eye out for the two graves dug into the rocks to the right of the chapel when you stand with your back to the mountain.

# It is a lovely spot for a picnic.

# GPS co-ords: N 40° 02ʹ 06.30ʺ   W 7° 07ʹ 09.91ʺ

Portuguese words:
montanha – mountain
capela – chapel
santo – saint
corça – doe
São Pedro – Saint Peter

Written by: Jolandi