Marvao, capital of the best pinchos... for two days

In the heart of the Sierra de San Mamede Natural Park, in the heart of the Portuguese Alentejo, and just 12 km from the border with Spain, lies one of the most beautiful medieval villages in the neighboring country.

At the top of a cliff, crowned by its castle,

appears as one of those places that stand out not only for the spectacular nature of its walled enclosure, which houses an important monumental heritage among old houses with white facades, but also for the incredible surroundings natural, surrounded by mountains and valleys, in which it is located.

The charming town, where the Romans, the Visigoths and the Arabs left their mark, becomes for two days a gastronomic destination to take into account thanks to

.

On Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October, the Portuguese town will host the XIII edition of this event, an initiative organized by the Network of Medieval Cities and Towns, which brings together the best chefs from six other cities integrated in the aforementioned Red (all with significant medieval heritage), who will compete against each other with their culinary creations to win the coveted title of

.

The award will be given on Saturday 22nd at 4:00 p.m.

(Portuguese time) and the winner will be among the veteran Julia Medrano from

(Almazán-Soria);

Jorge Ruiz Luzuriaga, from

(Estella-Lizarra, Navarra);

Adur Arrieta, from

(Hondarribia, Guipúzcoa);

Severiano García, from

(Jerez de los Caballeros, Badajoz);

Pablo de Francisco, from

(La Cabrera, Sigüenza, Guadalajara) and the local José Marino Da Costa Magalhaes, from

(Marvao).

They will present their tapas designed for the occasion, and all of them have to have a fundamental requirement: they can be made with ancient and modern techniques, but

;

that is, those that existed prior to the discovery of America, with traditional touches of the city they represent.

That means that the skewers will not include products such as potatoes, peppers, cocoa, corn...

Luxury skewers for 2 euros

Chicken in the wheat field, skewer from Severiano García, from Jerez de los Caballeros.

Anyone who comes to Marvao and neighboring Portagem (4 km) this weekend will have the opportunity to try these creations for a price of 2 euros (skewer + drink), in the six bars and restaurants in both towns that are included on the

.

You can taste delicacies such as

from the chef of El Balcón del Dulce (Sigüenza), in the

restaurant (Portagem);

the

pincho , a fake happy chicken curd that comes from Hondarribia, which will be served by the

bar (Marvao);

Julia Medrano (Hotel Villa de Almazán), a fried kale leaf with boletus mousse, fried onion, leek and other vegetables, which will be at

(Marvao);

, with foie micuit and ham powder, by the chef of the Florida Bar-Restaurant (Estella), which can be tasted at

(Portagem);

the Tapa

that represents the Hotel-Restaurant Oasis (Jerez de los Caballeros), which will be served at

(Portagem), and the local pincho

which will be at

(Portagem).

walk between walls

The event is held in the incomparable setting of this impeccably preserved medieval town, so strolling through its narrow alleys to discover it between pinchos is a must.

The

, installed on top of Marvao, is just one of the magnificent enclaves that the city houses, with an enormous historical heritage, the result of its past as a strategic border location.

The origin of the fortress dates back to the 13th century, although almost everything you see today is the result of modifications made during the 17th century.

It is recommended to go up to the

to contemplate the best views of the various castle enclosures, with watchtowers built on the edge of the precipice, and stroll through its beautiful gardens.

The walls (14th century) that surround the fortress and cover the entire town are accessible and you can walk through them, between battlements, and surround the city from above.

Wandering within the walls between white stone buildings, typical of popular Alentejo architecture, you can easily see Gothic arches, Manueline windows, wrought iron balconies adorned with flowers... A must-see is the

a closed 13th-century temple to the cult but that today houses the

Other enclaves of interest are the Church of Santiago, the Renaissance Chapel of the Holy Spirit and the Convent of Nuestra Señora de la Estrela, outside the walls.

Church of Santa Maria

The surroundings of Marvao, in the heart of the Sierra de San Mamede Natural Park, are also worth a visit.

In the valley, to the south of the steep silhouette of the castle, is

, with ruins dating back to the 1st century AD;

and about 20 km away,

located in the Ribeira de Revelada (the Tagus basin) and where non-motorized water sports are allowed.

Where to sleep

Next to the Church of Santa Maria, is located

(R. 24 de Janeiro 7, Marvão, Portugal), an establishment made up of four small traditional country houses whitewashed on the rock at about 800 meters of altitude with incredible views of the town and surroundings.

Price: from 85 euros.

Reservations here.

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