Fanspot
Peyredragon (exterior)
“Swear anew your oath to Rhaenyra as your queen to Prince Jacaerys as the heir to the Iron Throne. Or if you support the usurper, speak it now and you will have a clean and honorable death. But if you choose treachery, if you swear fealty now only to later turn your cloaks know that you will die.”
Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith)
The final episode of season 1 of House of the Dragon takes place almost exclusively in Peyregdragon, the stronghold of the Targaryen family, where Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) is entrenched after the Iron Throne was stolen from her by her half-brother Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney).
Already present in Game of Thrones, the castle was then positioned at the peninsula of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe in the Spanish Basque Country. A place of shooting that the teams of the spin-off did not wish to exploit again, preferring to relocate elsewhere in Spain but also in Portugal to explore the surroundings of the castle.
Dragons in Portugal
The rocky promontory on which Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) stands as he tries to determine whether the knights of the Kingsguard will remain loyal to him is at Monsanto Castle, near the border with Spain in central Portugal. If the castle itself does not appear, except for some ruins, the rocks are widely recognizable. A landscape modified in post-production, where the impressive Targaryen castle was added.
A secret shooting
It is highly likely that the showrunners filmed other sequences in the area, although the highly secretive nature of the production prohibits too much speculation. A major historical site in the history of Portugal, Monsanto has become a destination of choice for fans of the series. One of the starting points of a merciless war that season 2 will tell.
The tenth and final episode of the first season of House of Dragon drew 9.3 million viewers.
Monsanto
Built in the 12th century, this castle dominates the plains of the Serra da Gardunha, 763 meters above sea level.
Built on a site occupied since the Paleolithic era, this building has been restored and enlarged several times over the years. Exploited during the war with Spain, it was the scene of a violent explosion in one of its warehouses in the 19th century. Now in ruins, it nevertheless remains remarkable and is one of the most popular historical monuments in central Portugal. All the more so since its appearance in the House of the Dragon series.
The Fantrippers Buying Board
Fire and Blood
Want to read Fire and Blood, the novel behind the HBO series House of The Dragon?
Content quality
Interest for fans
Value for money
Discover all the places House of the Dragon on our map
By Gilles Rolland
Passionné de cinéma, de rock and roll, de séries TV et de littérature. Rédacteur de presse et auteur des livres Le Heavy Metal au cinéma, Paroles de fans Guns N' Roses, Paroles de fans Rammstein et Welcome to my Jungle : 100 albums rock et autres anecdotes dépareillées. Adore également voyager à la recherche des lieux les plus emblématiques de la pop culture.