The foundations of the old castle date to an Iron Age settlement.[1]
The location was intensely forested with Eucalyptus by the property owner, from information of Dr. António Carlos Silva (12 June 1989), from the Serviços Regionais de Arqueologia do Sul (Southern Archaeology Regional Services) of the Instituto Português do Património Cultural (the predecessor of the IGESPAR.[1]
Architecture
The remains of the medieval castle is located in a rural location, in the spur of bedrock and steep slopes at the confluence of the Ribeira da Caridade and the Degebe River, isolated and in harmony with the surrounding environment.[1] It is a vast space defended and encircled by walls natural slope, limited in the west by the Degebe River and in the east by the Ribeira da Caridade, and protected in the north, by a double line of fortifications that transforms into an island.[1] The castle is slightly long, irregular plan oriented north to south.[1]
Gonçalves, José Pires (1962), "Monsaraz e o seu termo", Boletim da Junta Distrital de Évora (in Portuguese), Évora, Portugal{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Gonçalves, José Pires; Paço, Manuel Afonso do (1960), "Reconhecimento preliminar", Castelo Velho do Degebe (in Portuguese), Reguengos de Monsaraz, Portugal{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
