And being surrounded by a lot of rich history, we now bring you a legend!
A legend that has been passed down from generation to generation to explain this place, that goes deep into the earth.
It is the legend of the lizard-man, and it goes like this:
Once upon a time, there was an old lady living in this Monte Novo do Castelinho who was visited by a woman she had never seen before. But this woman said she was her neighbour, and that she would like to show her kindness by inviting the old lady to visit her house!
She only had one rule: That for nothing in this world should she invoke the name of God! The old woman was surprised, but she agreed! On entering the cave - which was her neighbour's house - she saw endless riches, but she was even more surprised to see her neighbour's husband: half man, half lizard! Frightened, she blessed herself and cried out the name of God!
Now, this broke the enchantment and everything disappeared: house, riches and the lizard-man!
But legend has it that the lizard-man still exists and is the guardian of this site! Hiding from everyone and everything, even from the archaeologists who since the 1980s have revealed Mesas do Castelinho as one of the most important archaeological sites in southern Portugal.
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