Chapel of S. João

Monsanto

In this rocky, flat corner of the east side of the castle, we find the ruins of the Chapel of S. João. Little or nothing is know of it. Remnants of 16th-century ceramic tiles found in its ruins indicate that it would have existed in that era and that in the mid-18th century it would have supposedly still been open for worship, as it is included on a list of the religious buildings of Monsanto. The remains of the walls reveal a small temple made up of a nave and main chapel, with a single axial door; the triumphal arch is a recent reconstruction, poorly done and out of proportion. Today, it serves as a magnificent outlook for viewing the landscape of the area of Castelo Branco and its surroundings, or for simply getting a feeling for the space.