Tapada do Arneiro is the designation of the estate which, being a fully walled property, with an area of approximately 800 ha, has a remarkable natural heritage of great landscape, floristic and faunal value, also providing the enjoyment of archaeological circuits and various reasons of historical, cultural and environmental interest, which contribute to the Alter Stud Farm being a mandatory point of passage in Alto Alentejo, particularly in Alter do Chão.
The choice of the North of Alentejo and the Coutada do Arneiro for the location of the Alter Stud Farm is mentioned by Ruy D’Andrade in his treatise “Elements for the History of the Alter Stud Farm”:
“the northern region of Alentejo, where the House of Bragança had extensive territorial assets, was the most suitable for horse breeding, an effect perhaps of the nature of the pastures and agrological conditions (…) this property, actually well situated and equally suitable for the old pastoral regime, was in fact quite suitable for a stud farm as the connoisseurs of equestrian things conceived, at that time, an establishment of this nature…”.
Alter do Chão is a municipality with about 360 km2 of area, belonging to the district of Portalegre, integrated in the region of Alentejo and in the sub-region of Alto Alentejo. The village of Alter do Chão is the seat of the municipality and has about 2,000 inhabitants. The municipality is bordered to the north by Crato, to the southeast by Monforte, to the south by Fronteira, to the southwest by Avis and, to the west, by Ponte de Sor. The municipality of Alter do Chão consists of four parishes.
Alter do Chão is a land of living history, where tranquility reigns and an important heritage spread between the white houses with colorful strips, with cobbled streets where manor houses from the 17th and 18th centuries coexist, and several historical monuments, among which stand out the Alter Castle and the Casa do Álamo, museum centers open to the public, where a wide variety of cultural activities are concentrated. In addition to these, among others, it is also worth mentioning:
Through various findings, it is possible to say that the origin of this territory dates back to Prehistory. In Tapada do Arneiro, evidence has been found of human occupation more than 7000 years ago, and this area is therefore considered an archaeological complex. In Roman times, Alter was called Abelterium, a settlement located next to the road to Santo António.