The standout monument in every sense, the Castle of Torrres Novas is a sign of the town’s political and strategic value in medieval times.

It was raised by the Moors in the 1100sm, and once it was securely in Christian hands became part of the Tagus Line (Linha do Tejo). This was a system of castles on a horizontal line protecting the right bank of the Tagus River.

On the walk from Praça 5 de Outubro there’s a tile panel portraying the 10-day siege in 1190 that brought an end to Moorish control.

The structure is essentially a shell, with an immense outer curtain that has 11 towers to scale for panoramas of the Ribatejo.

In the middle is a tranquil garden with the little 14th-century warden’s under 100-year-old cypresses and pines.