Colmeal village

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Colmeal village no longer exists, but gives its name to the parish formed by Bizarril, Luzelos and Milheiro, in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo municipality. It is a place that deserves a visit, not only by the landscape and the cultural heritage, but by the episodes that happened there that turned it into a ghost village.

Unique in the annals of Portuguese justice, Colmeal inhabitants were evicted by order of the court in 1957, after years of legal battles. At the root of the conflict was the lack of the rent payment to the landlord because the inhabitants said they were unable to afford the high rent. The process was to end violently in July 1957 with the National Guard expelling the 13 families who lived there, forced to go to the neighbouring villages.

Colmeal remained, for nearly 6 decades, an abandoned village. In its ruins, by the coat of arms and the architectonic features, stands out the Cabrais’ house, family of Pedro Álvares Cabral, whose mother was daughter of the mayor (alcaide) of Castelo Rodrigo.

Currently, Colmeal village - or “Quinta do Colmeal” as it was considered after the eviction - is a countryside hotel. The streets, roads and squares, though considered public spaces, were recovered and consolidation works were carried out in the church and cemetery.