Vineyards at Covelinhas

Photograph of patches of "mortórios" which are an important testimony of the history of the Douro viticulture preserved on the hillside of Monte Raso facing the Douro river, between the estates of D. Matilde and Murças, and on the side of the public path that goes from the village of Covelinhas to the slope of Cidermas, next to the railway line. These steep lands were once cultivated with vines and are currently recolonized by shrub vegetation, particularly in the Monte Raso area. In the upstream slope of the Covelinhas stream, along with the native vegetation, some pre-phylloxera vines and terraced olive groves persist. The walls, low and narrow, follow the design of the contour lines and the schist outcrops that punctuate the slope, resulting in an irregular layout. It is noteworthy that in the border areas of these spots are well-built plots of post-phylloxera terraces, namely at Quinta de D. Matilde.