Some 4 kilometers to the south of Monsaraz is the small town of Mourão that has the impressive high walls of a 14th Century castle overlooking the River Guadiana.
Romans and arabs left countless marks of their presence in Alentejo for many centuries. Castelo de Moura is another memory of muslim times, when it was built.
From those times, there are still some towers, including Torre de Taipa. In the 14th century, the castle was rebuilt by order of king Dinis, and Torre de Menagem (Watchtower) was then added. Later, there were other modifications, namely in the time of king Manuel.
Inside, there are still vestiges of the old Convento de Nossa Senhora da Assunção (Our Lady Convent), at the place where the town´s first mother church was built.
