EVORA PORTUGAL
Discover Evora in the Alentejo Region of Portugal
by Bert Snijder
Evora is one of Portugal's finest and most delightful towns. It
is a true open-air museum with a large number of
wonderfully preserved monuments and buildings of public
interest that led UNESCO to protect it as a World Heritage
Site.
Each age has left its trace on Evora. It was the Celts who
named it Ebora and the Romans gave it its most famous
landmark, the Temple of Diana. Dating from the 2nd
century, it is one of the Iberian Peninsula's best preserved
Roman monuments, raised on a 3m(10ft)-high stone
platform, with 14 of the original 18 granite Corinthian
columns still standing. The whitewashed houses, arches,
and twisting alleyways that characterize the town reflect the
Moorish presence.
The main square, Praca do Giraldo, is the best place to
start a visit. It was an execution ground during the
Inquisition, but is now filled with shops and cafes, and
surrounded by attractive townhouses with wrought-iron
balconies. A fountain erected in 1571 in front of the
Renaissance Santo Antao Church dominates one end of
this spacious square.
From there, the pedestrian Rua 5 de Outubro (lined with
souvenir shops) leads to the Roman temple and Loios
Convent. The convent is now a splendid pousada but
anyone can visit its Gothic church founded in 1485.
Discover Evora in the Alentejo Region of Portugal
by Bert Snijder
Evora is one of Portugal's finest and most delightful towns. It
is a true open-air museum with a large number of
wonderfully preserved monuments and buildings of public
interest that led UNESCO to protect it as a World Heritage
Site.
Each age has left its trace on Evora. It was the Celts who
named it Ebora and the Romans gave it its most famous
landmark, the Temple of Diana. Dating from the 2nd
century, it is one of the Iberian Peninsula's best preserved
Roman monuments, raised on a 3m(10ft)-high stone
platform, with 14 of the original 18 granite Corinthian
columns still standing. The whitewashed houses, arches,
and twisting alleyways that characterize the town reflect the
Moorish presence.
The main square, Praca do Giraldo, is the best place to
start a visit. It was an execution ground during the
Inquisition, but is now filled with shops and cafes, and
surrounded by attractive townhouses with wrought-iron
balconies. A fountain erected in 1571 in front of the
Renaissance Santo Antao Church dominates one end of
this spacious square.
From there, the pedestrian Rua 5 de Outubro (lined with
souvenir shops) leads to the Roman temple and Loios
Convent. The convent is now a splendid pousada but
anyone can visit its Gothic church founded in 1485.
EVORA PORTUGAL
EVORA PORTUGAL HOTEL
EVORA PORTUGAL HOTEL
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The towers of the Se (cathedral), built in 1186 (and where
the flags of Vasco da Gama's ships were blessed before his
voyage to India), are seen from here. It is a blend of
Romanesque and Gothic, and on the portal are 14th
century sculpted Apostles. The Gothic interior has one of
the longest naves found in any cathedral in the country,
measuring 70m(230ft), and has a large Renaissance organ,
thought to be the oldest in Europe.
The Gothic cloister with statues of the Evangelists and the
Sacred Art Museum are worth seeing. Its most precious item
is a 13th century ivory Virgin whose body opens out to
reveal intricately carved scenes of her life in nine episodes.
Visitors can also climb up to the roof for a view over the
town.
Adjacent to the cathedral is the City Museum, representing
Evora's long history through Roman columns, 16th-century
paintings, and modern sculpture. Among the paintings is a
15th century Holy Virgin with Child by Alvaro Pires (he is
one of the earliest identified Portuguese artists although a
number of his paintings are displayed in Pisa and Florence
in Italy).
A short walk behind the cathedral leads to the Jesuit
University, founded in 1559. It has elegant Renaissance
marble cloisters and the classroom entrances are
decorated with tile panels representing each of the subjects
taught.
A staircase beside the cathedral leads down towards Porta
da Moura Square, a picturesque place to rest. It is
surrounded by Moorish architecture and has an interesting
spherical Renaissance fountain dating from 1556.
As you walk around town you will come across some
interesting churches. One of the most eye-catching is
Graca Church, a Renaissance building that is unique in the
Iberian Peninsula. Built in granite, it has four huge figures
supporting globes.
But of all the churches, the one that should not be missed is
the Church of Sao Francisco. It is a Manueline-Gothic
structure completed around 1510, and legend has it that
Portuguese navigator Gil Vicente is buried in it.
Not buried, but on display, are the bones and skulls of
some 5000 people covering the walls and columns of the
church's Chapel of Bones. The creepiest sight is what looks
like the desiccated corpse of a child, hanging off to the right
of the entrance, where a sign reads "Nossos ossos que
aqui estamos, pelos vossos esperamos," meaning "We
bones that are here, await yours."
After that it is a good idea to take a little break in the
delightful public gardens near the church, which are also
home to the 16th century Dom Manuel Palace. Built in
Gothic, Manueline, neo-Moorish, and Renaissance styles, it
was where Vasco da Gama received his commission to
command the fleet that would discover the sea route to
India.
Outside the city walls on the road to the train station is
Ermita de Sao Bras ("Hermitage of St. Blaise"), an
extraordinary building that looks like a medieval castle,
complete with large battlements, gargoyles, and round
buttresses. It was built in 1485 in thanksgiving for survival
from the plague.
Also outside the walls is the magnificent Silver Water
Aqueduct. Walk west from Giraldo Square along Rua do
Cano to transverse it and take a look at the houses that
were built into its arches.
Around Evora are also numerous prehistoric monuments --
dozens of sizeable Neolithic menhirs, cromlechs, and
dolmens (the one in Zambujeiro, now a national monument,
is the largest in Europe, consisting of seven stones, each
6m/20ft high, forming a huge chamber).
The Cromlech of Almendres dating from somewhere
between 4000 and 2000 B.C has been called "the
Portuguese Stonehenge." It is the most important megalithic
group in the Iberian Peninsula, consisting of a huge oval of
almost one hundred rounded granite monoliths, some
engraved with symbolic markings, assumed to have been
used for cult purposes. They have their origins in a culture
that flourished in the Iberian Peninsula before spreading
north as far as Brittany and Denmark.
A couple of kilometers east is the Cave of Escoural, a cave
adorned with charcoal drawings of horses and other
animals, the work of Cro-Magnon artists some 15,000 years
ago. There are free tours organized on the site.
For more information about these sites, how to get to them,
or to book tours, visit the Evora Tourism Office.
One of Evora's restaurants is also famous throughout the
country. Apparently "O Fialho"'s excellent traditional dishes
are reason enough to drive all the way from Lisbon for
dinner.
Evora is less than 2 hours away from Lisbon (there are
express buses departing from the Sete Rios terminal), so it
is a possible daytrip from the capital. However, it makes an
ideal base for touring the Alentejo region and an overnight
stay is highly recommended, as the town is especially
evocative when floodlit at night.
About the Author
Alentejo Home is the Real Estate specialist in the Alentejo
region of Portugal between Lisbon and the Algarve. Find
out how we can make your dream come true at Alentejo
Home Real Estate
the flags of Vasco da Gama's ships were blessed before his
voyage to India), are seen from here. It is a blend of
Romanesque and Gothic, and on the portal are 14th
century sculpted Apostles. The Gothic interior has one of
the longest naves found in any cathedral in the country,
measuring 70m(230ft), and has a large Renaissance organ,
thought to be the oldest in Europe.
The Gothic cloister with statues of the Evangelists and the
Sacred Art Museum are worth seeing. Its most precious item
is a 13th century ivory Virgin whose body opens out to
reveal intricately carved scenes of her life in nine episodes.
Visitors can also climb up to the roof for a view over the
town.
Adjacent to the cathedral is the City Museum, representing
Evora's long history through Roman columns, 16th-century
paintings, and modern sculpture. Among the paintings is a
15th century Holy Virgin with Child by Alvaro Pires (he is
one of the earliest identified Portuguese artists although a
number of his paintings are displayed in Pisa and Florence
in Italy).
A short walk behind the cathedral leads to the Jesuit
University, founded in 1559. It has elegant Renaissance
marble cloisters and the classroom entrances are
decorated with tile panels representing each of the subjects
taught.
A staircase beside the cathedral leads down towards Porta
da Moura Square, a picturesque place to rest. It is
surrounded by Moorish architecture and has an interesting
spherical Renaissance fountain dating from 1556.
As you walk around town you will come across some
interesting churches. One of the most eye-catching is
Graca Church, a Renaissance building that is unique in the
Iberian Peninsula. Built in granite, it has four huge figures
supporting globes.
But of all the churches, the one that should not be missed is
the Church of Sao Francisco. It is a Manueline-Gothic
structure completed around 1510, and legend has it that
Portuguese navigator Gil Vicente is buried in it.
Not buried, but on display, are the bones and skulls of
some 5000 people covering the walls and columns of the
church's Chapel of Bones. The creepiest sight is what looks
like the desiccated corpse of a child, hanging off to the right
of the entrance, where a sign reads "Nossos ossos que
aqui estamos, pelos vossos esperamos," meaning "We
bones that are here, await yours."
After that it is a good idea to take a little break in the
delightful public gardens near the church, which are also
home to the 16th century Dom Manuel Palace. Built in
Gothic, Manueline, neo-Moorish, and Renaissance styles, it
was where Vasco da Gama received his commission to
command the fleet that would discover the sea route to
India.
Outside the city walls on the road to the train station is
Ermita de Sao Bras ("Hermitage of St. Blaise"), an
extraordinary building that looks like a medieval castle,
complete with large battlements, gargoyles, and round
buttresses. It was built in 1485 in thanksgiving for survival
from the plague.
Also outside the walls is the magnificent Silver Water
Aqueduct. Walk west from Giraldo Square along Rua do
Cano to transverse it and take a look at the houses that
were built into its arches.
Around Evora are also numerous prehistoric monuments --
dozens of sizeable Neolithic menhirs, cromlechs, and
dolmens (the one in Zambujeiro, now a national monument,
is the largest in Europe, consisting of seven stones, each
6m/20ft high, forming a huge chamber).
The Cromlech of Almendres dating from somewhere
between 4000 and 2000 B.C has been called "the
Portuguese Stonehenge." It is the most important megalithic
group in the Iberian Peninsula, consisting of a huge oval of
almost one hundred rounded granite monoliths, some
engraved with symbolic markings, assumed to have been
used for cult purposes. They have their origins in a culture
that flourished in the Iberian Peninsula before spreading
north as far as Brittany and Denmark.
A couple of kilometers east is the Cave of Escoural, a cave
adorned with charcoal drawings of horses and other
animals, the work of Cro-Magnon artists some 15,000 years
ago. There are free tours organized on the site.
For more information about these sites, how to get to them,
or to book tours, visit the Evora Tourism Office.
One of Evora's restaurants is also famous throughout the
country. Apparently "O Fialho"'s excellent traditional dishes
are reason enough to drive all the way from Lisbon for
dinner.
Evora is less than 2 hours away from Lisbon (there are
express buses departing from the Sete Rios terminal), so it
is a possible daytrip from the capital. However, it makes an
ideal base for touring the Alentejo region and an overnight
stay is highly recommended, as the town is especially
evocative when floodlit at night.
About the Author
Alentejo Home is the Real Estate specialist in the Alentejo
region of Portugal between Lisbon and the Algarve. Find
out how we can make your dream come true at Alentejo
Home Real Estate