Where we talk about roads and a bridge, an ancient legend and a magnificent sunset.
I arrive at the appointed time. On the bridge as agreed. I come from the north to the south. He comes from the east to the west, having already traveled a long distance. Each on their own path and there we meet.
I look to the east. The river spreads out to the width that is finally allowed here. Full as it hasn’t been seen in a long time. Calm, resting from the tight and winding path that brought it here, between the steep banks of its international course that separates Portugal from Spain.
Or perhaps, it is preparing to gain momentum. To overcome the last natural obstacle that hinders its course to the mouth… two hundred kilometers further ahead.
The river is the Tagus and the bridge is the one at Ródão.
Finally, I look to the west. There it is: the Sun, almost on the horizon, on its inexorable path to the west. For us, the sunset, for others the day in its splendor of light. This was the agreed hour: the sunset.
The star almost crossing the threshold highlights in backlight the grandeur of the Gates of Ródão.
The gorge carved by the Tagus River, only 45 meters wide, which is a Natural Monument and habitat of the largest colony of griffon vultures in Portugal (among other species, some of them endangered), with its steep slopes squeezing the riverbed as if giving it a strong hug. Did the Tagus have to ask for permission to continue its journey in times past?
I pass by here frequently and it is rare not to stop. Perhaps for the beauty of the place, for the dimension of this geological monument that reduces us to our scale, or for the tranquility only disturbed by the sporadic traffic of vehicles on the centuries-old bridge.
THE RÓDÃO BRIDGE AND EN18
Inaugurated in 1888, it is one of the oldest crossings over the Tagus. This bridge with a metal deck resting on two central granite pillars connects Beira to Alentejo or, locally, the municipalities of Vila Velha de Ródão on the right bank and Nisa on the other side.
The National Road 18 passes through it, the second longest in the country – 388 km – connecting Guarda to Ervidel (somewhere between Ferreira do Alentejo and Aljustrel). From the mountains of Serra da Estrela and our highest city to the Alentejo plain.
From the capital of Beira Alta, it passes through all the district capitals and most important cities to Beja – Covilhã, Castelo Branco, Estremoz, Évora – and ends intersecting National Road 2 in the small Alentejo village.
It is easy to understand the importance this road had in the past. It connected the country near the border, parallel to EN1 (along the coast) and EN2 (the backbone of the road network planned by the 1945 Road Plan) and, by intersecting the latter, well to the south, it ensured the network connection intended in that Road Plan.
It can be seen that, counting from north to south, in Guarda the winding EN16 passes through, coming from Aveiro and Viseu and heading to the border in Vilar Formoso (where in Celorico da Beira the EN17 coming from Coimbra had already flowed).
In Belmonte our EN18 meets EN232 which crosses the Serra da Estrela.
To Covilhã comes the Beira Road, EN230 (which, combined with the already mentioned EN17, ensured the connection to Coimbra).
In Castelo Branco, the EN112 from Pampilhosa da Serra arrives and, no less important as the numbering indicates, the EN3 coming from Carregado in a parallel route to the right bank of the Tagus and, at the time, the connection route to the capital. We talked about these two in the January edition of Motociclismo, in the “Route of Beiras”, remember?
All these roads have lost their importance in modern times, thanks to modern highways and other main routes, which means they generally have little or no traffic. The routes were built “old-fashioned”, following the terrain relief, sometimes up and down, sometimes in curve and counter-curve. Sinuous, with little traffic, they are authentic paradises for motorcyclists who want to enjoy fantastic driving moments along with stunning landscapes.
After crossing the Tagus River, at “our” Ponte de Ródão, EN18 will enter Alentejo – and that entrance is spectacular: the approximately 20 kilometers that lead us to Nisa are spectacular for the landscape and, especially, for the driving.
The Alentejo plain does not diminish the importance of the roads that cross it, but they are more utilitarian and less interesting from a motorcycling point of view. They are:
– EN118, which runs parallel to the Tagus River, climbing up the left bank from Montijo to Alpalhão;
– EN4, also starting in Montijo and leading to the Caia border, passing through Vendas Novas (known for its bifanas!), Montemor-o-Novo, Estremoz, and Elvas;
– EN121, from Santiago do Cacém to Beja, crossing the Alentejo diagonally (and intersecting EN2 in Ferreira do Alentejo);
– And finally, in Ervidel, just below, the encounter with EN2.
This description shows that the concept of a “network”, as a factor for promoting the integrated development of the country – balancing the coastal and inland areas – through its communication routes was well present in the mind of Minister Duarte Pacheco when he laid the foundations of the Road Plan, which would be enacted in 1945, after his death.
Right next to the Ródão Bridge, the Beira Baixa line emerges, one of the (few) railways that are still in operation. It has a magnificent route from a scenic point of view, along both banks of the Tagus from Abrantes to precisely this point, from where it turns inland towards Castelo Branco.
THE CASTLE OF KING VAMBA
Looking at the Doors of Ródão, in the distance, on the top of the slope on the right bank, a tiny tower is revealed. The Castle of King Vamba or Castle of Ródão as it is also known. To get there, near the bridge, we take the road in the opposite direction to the one that would lead us to Vila Velha de Ródão – the M1373. It’s just a few kilometers on a narrow road with decent pavement. But it’s a short distance that is worth a lot. Maximum fun as I climb towards the Castle. After passing the level crossing of the Beira Baixa line, the road ahead conquers altitude, first up one slope and then up the other that borders a small but deep valley, always in a rhythm of curves and counter-curves. Finally, at a small intersection, I turn left onto a road where two cars can barely pass each other but with good recent pavement. The clearing of the bushes allows us to see the bottom of the valley way down there and the absence of protective walls recommends caution. A sign indicates: “Castle of King Vamba”!
A few meters ahead, we realize that the castle is just a towering tower that watches over a vast horizon in the Alentejo lands. In fact, it is not a castle but a watchtower that played an important role due to its location.
D. Sancho I donated the tower to the Templars in the 12th century and at that time it served for surveillance of the Moors. Centuries later, during the French invasions, it served as an artillery post.
It is not difficult to understand its strategic and military utility in the wars of yore, as it allowed the detection of enemies tens of kilometers away (or days of travel when done on foot).
It also has a chapel next to it… but we’ll get to that later.
The bridge of Ródão seen from the Castle
The landscape is overwhelming. A small viewpoint on a platform built right on the cliff leaves the visitor amazed. We are at a higher altitude than the two massive rocks of the Portas de Ródão and also above the Serra de Nisa border (to the south). This allows for an unobstructed view for long kilometers, even beyond the Serra de S. Mamede (Portalegre).
With a little luck, it will be possible, a little further down, to glimpse some elements of the griffon colony that “reside” on the slope of the gates.
Spectacular!
BUT…AND KING VAMBA?
According to the chronicles, Vamba was anointed King of the Monarchy of the Visigoths in the Iberian Peninsula in September 672 in Toledo. Other descriptions suggest that this may have happened in Idanha-a-Velha. At a millennium and a half away, the discrepancy will make little difference….
After the death of his predecessor – Recesvinto – and seeking to legitimize the choice, he implored God to confirm the succession. The sign would be the revitalization of the staff he had in his hand. He planted it in the middle of an olive grove… the staff sprouted green and he reigned between 672 and 680. A short reign….still one of the longest of the time!
Internal revolts led him to make reforms in the army that antagonized the nobles and clergy of the kingdom and ultimately led to his deposition through a coup.
But what does the history of a Visigoth king who ruled the Iberian Peninsula have to do with this small border fortification on the Tagus?
This is where the legend comes in! Because it is attributed to Vamba the initiative to build a castle here that would allow him to defend his territory from the Muslim invasion. Now the Muslims crossed the Strait of Gibraltar only in 711 (more than 30 years after Vamba was king…).
Therefore, legend has it that the strategic position of this hill overlooking the Portas de Ródão led Vamba to order the construction of this castle. In fact, from there he could dominate the vastness of the territories then dominated by the Moors. And in this way, he could better anticipate the ambitious movements of the enemy. The Tagus River separated the two armies.
It was also here that King Vamba had gathered his wife and children and also his court. It was from here that he left for long absences, in wars or hunts.
And here his misfortune began, too…
There are several versions of the legend. In general, they coincide in the fundamental and only vary in the details with which they detail the different phases of the plot (for example, the version posted on the panel next to the Castle or the one told on the municipality page of V. V. de Ródão).
Let us then make a synthesis of both:
The prolonged absences of King Vamba forced his queen to ensure the governance needs of the kingdom.
Was it this that made her get to know the Moorish king who dominated the territories on the other side of the Tagus River? Who knows… For this or another reason, they fell in love. And they courted, sitting in stone chairs, from one side to the other of the steep banks of Portas de Ródão.
De um lado e do outro das Portas de Ródão, se namoravam
A dada altura, o rei mouro decidiu raptar a rainha e para tal, escavou um túnel com início no Buraco da Faiopa, para passar por baixo do leito do rio. Mas falhou o rumo e terá ido desembocar a um outro local mais acima (mas do mesmo lado) numa cavidade a que chamam Buraco da Moura….
Gorado o propósito por aquela via, a rainha terá então conseguido passar para a outra margem, sobre uma teia de linho.
Desgostoso e irado pela traição, Vamba achou que o amor proíbido teria que merecer castigo apropriado. Urdiu então um estratagema para resgatar a sua rainha. Levou os filhos e alguns dos seus guerreiros e demandou a fortaleza mourisca onde a rainha estava acolhida.
Disfarçado de peregrino, lá entrou sozinho. Andou pedindo esmola até que a encontrou. Esta, reconhecendo-o deu-lhe abrigo … mas denunciou-o ao rei mouro, que o capturou.
À beira de desfecho trágico, Vamba recorreu a um ardil: pediu que lhe permitissem tocar pela última vez a sua trombeta. Este era o sinal combinado com os seus guerreiros para que estes acorressem e o salvassem. Assim foi. Derrotaram os guerreiros mouros e regressaram ao seu castelo trazendo a rainha.
This was judged and the penalty dictated that she be thrown down the steep slope of Portas de Ródão tied to a millstone. It is still said today that no vegetation ever grew along the path where the body rolled.
The queen, in despair, cast a curse! That’s why they say this castle is cursed:
“Goodbye Ródão, goodbye Ródão, Surrounded by lots of myrtle, And land of many prostitutes, You shall not have honorable women, nor pampered horses, nor crowned priests.”The castle remains cursed, and not even the presence of a chapel built next to it
has made the spell diminish. They say…From the Castle to the Ródão Bridge
CONCLUSION
Let’s forget the historical inconsistencies and also overlook the curses that time may have already erased (hopefully…).
The fact is that this castle, which is actually just a tower with a small wall around it, allows us to enjoy a wonderful scenery. On a sunny day, our gaze gets lost in an almost infinite horizon (photos taken on another visit).
This time, the meeting with the sunset did not allow us to see so far but filled our eyes with the colorful changes of dusk.
If nature blesses us with its beauty and the fertile imagination of those who came before us leads us to dream of kings and queens, loves and misfortunes, tragic endings and endless curses, who are we to contradict?
From travels we draw sensations. The kilometers are just the means to get there.
