Monsanto, "The Sacred Mountain" is the stunning rock village of Portugal. Perched high atop a mountain bordering Spain, the village consists of rock houses sandwiched among the boulders. Over 2,000 years ago, after a shrine was erected on the peak of the mountain, people gathered and established homes there. The buildings are granite. Rather than breaking the boulders up, the villagers leave them as they are and build around them. 90 people are still living in Monsanto, in homes nestled among the rocks.
Here I am in Portugal.
I am in a village perched on top of a mountain that borders Spain.
Incredible! This is Monsanto - literally 'The Sacred Mountain.' Over 2000 years ago a shrine was erected on the peak of the mountain,
after that, people arrived and made their homes here.
Hello!
Ehhh? Is that a house under that huge rock?
Even these days, around 90 people live in this rock surrounded mountain village.
I'm so excited to be here! Looking forward to exploring Monsanto!
It's now 9:00 AM.
Looks like it's going to be a beautiful day!
I think I'll check the map.
The summit is about 700m above the base of the mountain.
There's a gate at the entrance to the village, and the weathervane on top of Lucan's Tower is a local landmark.
I'll head there first.
Ahh, I can see the gate.
It's a very simple design.
It looks like it was built with stones cut out of the huge boulders.
They did a great job of combining all the stones of different sizes to make a wall.
And now, I'm going to go in and check out the town.
Ahh, listen! The birds are singing!
But wait, I don't see any people...
Am I too early?
Looks like the person who lives here likes flowers.
The walls of the houses are also made from different-sized stones.
Ahh, that wall up ahead looks really old.
Wow, it's spring water.
Ah, the water's so clear.
Look there's a stone table inside.
I guess that's where you place the water bottles when filling them up.
Kind of expected in a rock village, I suppose.
This place just reeks of amazing history.
Hm? I think I hear someone.
Ah! Over there!
It looks like she's cleaning up.
Ah! Sorry, I didn't mean to stare!
Good morning!
Good morning.
Lovely morning, isn't it?
You're up early this morning!
I like to work while it's cool.
Especially when it comes to
cleaning outside.
It'll be hot soon and I'll be tired.
Did you grow up around here?
I have a house in Lisbon.
But I've retired so I come
to my favorite place, Monsanto.
Oh, you're from Lisbon?
Being able to hear the birds singing
and be healed by the spring waters...
This environment is priceless.
It is! But aren't you uncomfortable being surrounded by rocks?
No.
These granite boulders absorb the heat.
Sometimes I feel hot, but I don't
need an air conditioner.
That's amazing!
Really.
Even the kitchen downstairs
is lovely and cool.
All the houses here are
made of granite.
So, all the buildings in Monsanto are granite.
Do you have any recommendations for places I should check out?
Main street is nice, but the
side streets are also lovely.
Side streets?
That's right.
Take a left rather than
walking down the main street.
And you'll see a different
side of Monsanto.
Interesting!
It's amazing. You'll love it!
Alright, I'll go check it out.
- Bye, thank you!
- Thanks a lot!
Have a nice trip.
Enjoy your stroll!
I will! Looking forward to it.
She said to stay on the left to the main street...
Is sounds like there is some work being done on that house.
Ah, that guy's cleaning up, it seems.
Look at that! Pretty amazing, I wonder if I can get through there.
What's going on here?
Looks like the rock is trying to join up with the wall here.
Rather than breaking them down, they just leave the big boulders as they are and build around them.
What! It's a dead end!
Guess I'll just double back.
It's like a maze!
I wonder if all the streets in Monsanto are like this.
Those people have a lot of stuff!
Hello?
Hello.
Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you.
Are you going on a trip?
I'm here to visit my grandparents.
My parents bought them a home here
and we like to visit.
Your grandparents live here?
Why don't you show her the place?
Really?
Nice of you to invite me.
Oh, just look at all of these boulders...
My father's parents live here.
And his father was born there.
And my mother's parents live up here.
Seems he has a lot of family here.
Here we are.
Looks like a nice cozy place to live!
He's talking with someone.
I wonder who.
Go ahead, have a look inside.
Sorry, Grandma's busy cleaning.
Ah, hello!
Sorry to turn up unannounced.
I met your husband and grandson outside.
They invited me up to take a look.
- Good morning.
- Good morning!
Oh!
Worried about me, were you?
Thank you for inviting me up.
I wondered what you were up to.
Did you buy it for the view?
My daughter bought it for us.
She knows how to show her love!
I guess so.
Yeah.
There wasn't a ceiling and
there weren't any walls.
There were only big boulders.
We broke them up
and build the house.
Living in a house of stone must be quite an experience!
The tradition here is to preserve
the original structure.
We're not allowed aluminum windows,
we had to keep the wooden ones.
It's important to
preserve tradition.
I see.
Well, we have found
a different solution...
Who's that?
The windows get distorted
when the weather's bad.
Even though we have to
preserve the traditions.
I couldn't put up with a wooden door.
I can understand that.
I think I'll go talk with her.
Thanks for showing me around your home!
Goodbye! Bye!
Looks like their neighbor has a lot to say.
Thanks for the information!
I'm interested to hear what you have to say.
I came here from Lisbon.
And we have been coming to
Monsanto a lot.
Oh!
Take a look at that window up there.
That's not made of wood.
It looks like wood, but I fitted one that'll keep out the cold.
It's not wood?
It's a special material
that looks just like wood.
Would you like to see inside?
If it's all right with you, I would love to see your home.
Come here and look.
Now, that view is amazing!
But the wind is strong up here,
so it gets really cold.
Ah, the wind is strong up here.
This is our garden.
Oh, is that your husband?
Hello!
Hello!
Are you gardening?
I have to water the plants, you know?
This garden is quite something!
My husband looks after all of these.
You must get a lot of great sunlight here.
Monsanto's a perfect environment.
You can grow just about anything.
That's amazing.
It must be so much fun!
This is a walnut tree.
Ah, a walnut tree!
It'll bear fruit around October.
Oh, really?
Wish I was going to be here.
I absolutely love it here.
It's like heaven.
It is like heaven!
I was born here, you see.
But we moved away when I was 2.
You were born here.
I come here when I'm on vacation.
Nice!
Interesting that he comes back to his birthplace.
Thank you so much for showing me your beautiful garden!
I wonder what's up here?
Wow!
My goodness, another path between giant boulders!
Huh? Am I lost in another maze?
Oh, that looks like a way out!
Ah, hello!
Hello!
Hello.
Hi! May I ask what you're doing?
I'm painting Monsanto.
Would you mind if I took a look?
Please do.
He's an artist!
Pardon me.
Oh, I see...
There are the houses, and the mountains.
What's the black border around the outside?
Oh, are they the boulders?
I love the light and shadows.
The boulders shine in the sun,
while casting shadows.
Interesting!
You seem to really like boulders.
I do. Want to see a really nice one?
You have a favorite boulder?
Yes.
Monsanto is quite a beautiful town!
My cousins live around here.
A lot of us who live
here are related.
Nice to have relatives living here!
What? There's a rock inside here?
That's right.
- It's a traditional house.
- So there's the rock inside?
This is the kitchen
and the living room.
Wow!
That's a big rock.
Unbelievable.
It's one big boulder!
No way!
You might say...
this boulder protects me.
It supports the rest of the house.
How is it to live with a boulder this big inside of your house?
It's like we're living together.
What do you mean?
Rocks offer shade and
protect us from the heat.
Wow, protected by a force of nature!
Even long after we're gone,
this boulder will still be here.
That's true.
It's been here for thousands of years.
People chose to live here
because of the rocks.
They offered protection and
the villagers were able to maintain a comfortable
lifestyle for centuries.
And we still do!
Amazing to be protected by such powerful forces.
For sure!
Thank you so much!
Ah, so this huge boulder is the wall inside of the house!
These boulders have certainly protected the people of Monsanto!
Now I think I'll head back to the main street and check out Lucan's Tower.
There it is!
That rooster sparkles so brightly in the sun!
Welcome to Monsanto.
Human beings have been living here since prehistoric times.
Monsanto is the highest point in the whole area and surrounded by boulders.
It was a perfect place to live as it protected the hunter gathers from wild animals.
One key relic from that time is this large stone with one, two, three, and more shallow depressions carved in it.
These were used for serving soup.
This was a dinner table, where people would share the meals that they made.
Here's a communal kitchen built in the 12th century.
A church was also built, and the population of the village was about 300.
The fruit and vegetables were grown in the fields and prepared here in the communal kitchen.
And to this day, every year there is a festival to celebrate life in the village.
The towns people climb to the top of the mountain and throw dolls over the side.
These dolls, called Marafona, are specially made from cloth and stuffed with goat hair.
In order to prevent evil spirits from entering the dolls, they are made without eyes, mouths or noses.
This festival commemorates the story of a woman who protected the village from an invasion by the Roman army.
The Romans wanted to establish a trade route with the Iberian Peninsula.
But due to the giant boulders protecting the town, they were unable to gain control of the area, so they cut off the food supply for seven years.
The villagers were able to survive by farming the flatter areas and harvesting the fruit and nuts grown on trees.
Though they were totally self-sufficient, the villagers focused on finding a way to repel the invading army.
A young woman suggested that maybe if they released the goats, allowing them to run rampant through the enemy's ranks, the Romans might leave.
And indeed, the reaction of the Romans was to give up and retreat.
After all, how could they break the will of a village that was so well furnished with supplies.
Isn't it fascinating history?
What did you think of the legend of Monsanto?
It's a story that's familiar to all of us.
So, please come visit Monsanto!
It's now 1:00 PM.
It seems that everywhere you look in this village there are huge boulders.
Time to check the map.
I left the main street and wandered through the side streets.
Checked out the garden and then the house with the huge rock in it.
And now, I'm somewhere around here.
Hmm? I wonder what those people are doing there?
Looks like there's something painted on the back of that truck.
Ahhh, Fish?
Hello, pardon me.
He is selling fish!
Got some great clams
and shellfish today.
If you'll knock some off the price,
maybe I'll make a chowder with them!
Hello!
Good afternoon!
What's good today?
I've got some salmon,
anglerfish and cod.
Wow, you have a lot!
What did you buy?
I got some shark, and horse mackerel
to make bouillabaisse.
Shark and horse mackerel bouillabaisse?
A soup from Southern Portugal,
is also absolutely amazing.
I like to make it with shark meat
and other seafood.
Sounds delicious!
It really is!
Are you here every day?
Just once a week.
It's a pretty small village.
Just once a week?
- Don't you use a thickener?
- In what?
The soup.
- You ought to.
- What works best?
Anything, really.
Is it always this lively?
People share recipes
and learn to cook.
People swap information here too.
I buy food once a week
and freeze it.
I understand.
It's always great to have amazing women waiting for you, right!
Right!
Of course.
I ought to say that.
You'd be disappointed if we
weren't here to buy things!
That's why I come here.
Always glad to see you.
Bye now!
Bye.
Monsanto's quite a way inland.
It must be tough to carry fish all the way up here, right?
Yes, it is.
In the summer, they have restrictions
on transport into the village.
The only vehicles allowed in
are the baker's van, ambulances,
the mailman and me.
Oh, really?
Before the pandemic I was able to
sell over 10 kilos a time.
But today I did not even sell 6 kilos.
Oh...
People are not
buying a lot of fish.
Oh, I'm sorry.
No worries. See you!
Take care!
All the best!
Thanks!
I guess that means 'see you next week.' Bye!
It's nice when people are so considerate.
Okay... Where to next?
Wow, that tree's taken over the front of that house!
Oh, that woman must live there.
Hello!
Oh, hello!
Where are you from?
I came here from Japan.
I'm off to give some food to a friend.
Oh, sharing food, huh?
Looks tasty!
Have you eaten yet?
Ah. Actually, no...
Do you want to drop by?
That's really nice of you!
It won't take long to drop this off.
May I tag along?
Sure. Be my guest.
Wow, everyone in Monsanto is really nice.
It's wonderful when people share their food with each other.
Now. Which one was it?
Hm? She has a key?
I have so many.
I can never remember which is which.
She has the keys to her friends' houses.
And so many of them that she forgets which is which?
Wow, she has a key for the house door, too.
People really do look out for each other in Monsanto.
Look at all those keys!
Are those used to open the doors of your friends' houses living nearby?
Yes. That house there, and this one.
My son's house,
and my friends. 7 in all.
Seven houses!
Besides the person next door,
they all leave a key with me.
Do you always share food?
Yes.
We all worry.
It's important to look out
for each other.
There are a lot of
older residents here.
I stop by to say hello,
and see how they're doing.
We have to take care of each other.
That's life, isn't it!
She's so caring...
Did you finish your soup?
Are these your grandchildren?
Yes, these are my grandkids.
It's just gone lunchtime.
Hello!
Hmm, I haven't seen a lot of children around here.
There aren't many of them here.
Do you kids ever get lonely?
We like having friends.
Having friends is fun.
- We'd like more.
- Yeah.
Ah.
We play with the dog, and run around.
Play on the rocks?
We jump over the rocks.
Really? Isn't that dangerous?
The rocks are like friends to them.
It's mostly old people round here.
But these two play hide and seek.
And jump around the rocks.
I did the same when I was a kid.
I'd climb and play on the rocks.
But, at my age, I know.
I can't climb on the rocks anymore.
But the kids love playing
on the rocks.
It must be so much fun to jump around on the rocks!
- Well, take care!
- Thanks!
Bye!
Those two kids are Monsanto's hope for the future.
Okay, then.
Where to next?
Oh, who's that?
He's carrying something...
Excuse me, hello there!
Hi there!
Sorry to bother you.
What's that you have there?
Oh, you mean this?
Yeah.
- It's an old lamp.
- A lamp, huh?
Before the village had electricity,
they'd use these to light the way.
These lamps are handmade,
in those days everything was handmade.
Fascinating.
I just got this from a friend.
I was going to put it
in the radio club.
The radio club?
There's a lot of them there.
Come take a look!
A lot of old lamps?
I'd like to see them!
- Here we are - the radio shack.
- This is it?
Please, come on in!
Okay, thanks.
Wow, there's a lot of old stuff in here.
This lamp here is over 50 years old.
It was by the light of this lamp
that I first told my wife I loved her!
Now, that's a lamp you cannot forget!
These are all old radios.
Just looking at this old equipment brings back memories of a different time.
So, what actually is a radio club?
Excuse me a moment.
I have to go read the national news.
We have to keep Monsanto
connected with the rest of the world!
Oh wow! You broadcast from here!
And this man is a local celebrity!
For 37 years this station has
been connecting Portuguese living
all over the world.
These days, we have
over 12 million listeners.
Amazing, you've been broadcasting from here for 37 years!
One time, the ceiling fell in.
The place was completely ruined.
Thanks to support from the villagers
we were able to rebuild it.
That's so fabulous!
How did you get into radio?
When I was a kid, there was
a small radio in the tailor's shop.
I was so amazed that
I could hear voices and music out of that tiny box!
Ever since then, it was my dream
to start a radio station.
Just as listening to the radio
made me happy.
I wanted to be able to give
other people hope, too.
Is that why you created your own station?
Everything has a beginning,
and an end.
The same is true for
my time on the air.
And when that time comes, I want to be sure to
bow out with grace and dignity.
I wish you the very best!
Thank you.
Thank you for sharing your amazing story!
Thank you for listening.
Have a great rest of your trip.
Thank you.
Goodbye!
Until we meet again.
What an amazing man.
He had a dream when he was young, and he made it come true! Wow!
Hi!
Are we ready to go?
Yes, trust me!
I consulted with residents of Monsanto, so you can be sure the sweets will taste great.
In third place, Bolo de leite.
The name literally means 'milk cake.' Monsanto has a long history of livestock farming,
so they would traditionally make these with goat's or sheep's milk.
We're going to show you how to make all these kinds of patisseries.
Start with these.
Milk cakes are also known as olive oil cakes.
Getting the balance just right is key.
Each household has its own recipe.
And everyone has their favorite.
Add in the flour, and stir gently for 20 minutes, until totally combined.
The cake batter is a little loose and gets sprinkled with cinnamon and then is baked for 30 minutes.
The Monsanto women are always eager to share these treats.
Hm.
Yummy.
Yummy, huh?
In second place, Filhos!
This traditional sweet dates back to the Middle Ages.
The name comes from the ancient Latin 'Filiora,' meaning 'small leaves.' The dough needs to ferment for half a day.
This is looking about right!
Filhos were first made in monasteries.
They say the nuns used to use their knees to stretch the dough.
People in Monsanto love to eat.
So, we make them big.
Fry them in olive oil for 5 minutes, and our fragrant, crunchy Filhos are ready!
Alright, it's time to announce the number one sweet.
I can't wait.
Come on, let's go!
The first place goes to: Borrachoes!
The name roughly translates to 'heavy drinker.' They look simple, but there's a secret to their popularity.
We use a spirit liquor that's about 40% alcohol.
It's very sweet, it's used in place of sugar.
Don't drink it - put it in!
To this, we add white wine!
This should temper the sweetness.
This sweet is mostly alcohol!
On the flip side, these keep for a very long time.
Up to about 6 months!
In Monsanto, people always take these with them when they work in the fields.
Looks great!
Let me try it!
Ah, you two are too young.
Sorry.
Why?
The name means 'heavy drinker.' There's alcohol in these sweets!
But... Just one bite?
Not until you're a grownup!
Hope to see you soon in Monsanto!
We'll be waiting!
Okay, it's about... 4PM.
Where's my map?
After the mobile fishmonger in the square, I met the woman with all the keys.
Then went to the radio club.
And then I wandered through the streets a bit, now I'm here.
That house has a rock sitting on top of the roof!
Is that really okay?
Oh, that guy's doing some sweeping.
I wonder if that's his house?
Hello, would you mind if I asked you something?
Oh, hi there.
It's about that giant rock on your roof.
- Ah.
- Please. Tell me about it.
Would you like to come in?
Yes please.
I like showing my home,
please come in.
Thanks!
So, you get asked a lot about the rock?
Well, Monsanto is built on and
around rocks, you see.
Yes.
This is a cave that people lived in back in prehistoric times.
A Cave?
I fixed it up a little,
and made it into my home.
Wow.
Please, come inside.
Whoa, this is the entrance?
Yes. It's got rocks above it, too.
This way.
It's pretty narrow.
Come in.
Oh, so this is the cave.
About 100 years ago,
when they were building the road, they dropped rocks into the cave
and built a new wall here.
That's why that wall is relatively modern, huh.
Check out these walls!
When the house was built, we
cut the rocks and put beds here.
Huh?
It's an original cave painting.
It was carved back
in prehistoric times!
A prehistoric original!
It's proof that Homo Sapiens
lived here back then.
Plenty of similar cave paintings
have been found around here.
They used stones to carve them.
They are so well drawn!
They were quite worn.
So I colored them with special paint.
Really?
That one's a picture of
prehistoric hunting from around 20,000 years ago.
They're chasing animals with spears.
Life 20,000 years ago, huh.
These are characteristic of this village.
It's our history.
And this is how people lived
in those days.
Wow, it's amazing to see something like this.
Thank you so much.
How incredible!
Before they made the road, I guess the cave continued on through to the rocks over there.
Just look at all the flowers!
There's hydrangeas all up this alleyway.
That woman seems to be taking a break.
Hmm.
Wonder why there's a stone bench here?
That's interesting - there's some kind of pattern carved in it.
I wonder what that's for?
Maybe that woman knows.
Pardon me.
May I ask you a question?
Hello!
Ah, sorry to interrupt your watering.
Well, it's hot out today.
Is this a bench over here?
Or is it for something else?
Oh, that?
Yes.
Here in Monsanto, we call that
'A Handy Rock.' A... Handy Rock?
Every garden in Monsanto has one.
It's for drinking water.
In the old days, there was no plumbing,
so water jugs were placed on it.
Oh, I see.
But what are the round markings for?
They fit on it like this.
Hey, a perfect fit!
So, what's this hole for?
That's a drainage hole.
If any water spilled, it would flow out
through these channels.
Nice design!
Most of the houses here have them.
Because it was inconvenient
to have them inside.
This has been fascinating! Thank you so much!
The people of Monsanto were great at using rocks in all sorts of ways.
This has been such an incredible experience.
It's 6PM.
I've spent quite some time walking around the streets of Monsanto.
I think I'll finish up by heading to the summit!
Oh, as you climb up the mountain, it starts to look like this.
Hey!
Where are you?
They seem to be looking for someone.
Fausto!
They are calling out to someone named Fausto.
They look upset.
He's here somewhere!
Ah. On top of that boulder.
Found you!
Ahh, it's their son!
- Where's Nicolau?
- Hello, son!
I'm glad they found him.
Hi there!
Oh, hello!
So, you were looking for your child.
They're always playing
hide and seek like this.
Oh, hide and seek!
I see.
There's another one,
Nicolau, still hiding.
We have to go look for him.
Next, you have to find him.
It's nearly sunset.
We should be heading back!
Yes, the sun is getting low.
All these big rocks make for a lot of hiding places.
Did you find him?
Yes, he was up here!
That's a relief!
But, don't they ever hurt themselves?
Yes, they do.
But it's important that they
move around and develop their senses.
If you sharpen your instincts, your body moves naturally.
So, you move based on instinct, huh.
Wait a minute, aren't you the two brothers that were having lunch at your Grandma's place?
Yes. My favorite place is around here.
Yes, it's over there.
Oh, really?
May I go with you?
Of course.
- Here we are!
- Just look at this.
Wow!
So that's how they play on the rocks.
Help me get down!
You have a go, too.
I don't need any help!
Does it make you nervous to watch them?
Yes, it's almost vertical.
This place is beautiful!
- It's amazing, it's so pretty.
- I love to climb here, too.
When you were a child, did you play here too?
Of course, when I was a kid!
But now I'm older,
my body feels a little heavier.
If you go right to the edge,
the view is amazing.
Oh, let me see.
There are so many
wonderful views here.
Just look down at those houses!
It's like an aerial photograph.
Wow, Monsanto is really high up, isn't it!
That view is incredible.
Thanks for showing me such a special place!
You're welcome.
They're still playing...
Bye!
Wow, check out the evening lights of Monsanto, nestled among the rocks.
A great way to end the day is to sit down on a stone bench and enjoy talking with everyone.
Life here is definitely warm and nostalgic!