t Sitting in the plant-lined Praça do Giraldo, Évora’s expansive main square
E5 £ Largo da Estação @ Estrada de Lisboa n Praça do Giraldo; 266 777 071
Rising out of the Alentejan plain is the enchanting walled city of Évora. The town rose to prominence under the Romans and flourished throughout the Middle Ages as a centre of learning and the arts. Students throng Évora’s streets, joined by visitors who come to discover its many historical sites and enjoy the atmosphere of the old town, with its evocatively named streets, including the Alley of the Unshaven Man and Street of the Countess’s Tailor.
t Sitting in the plant-lined Praça do Giraldo, Évora’s expansive main square
Experience Alentejo
t The historic centre of Évora around the Roman temple and Sé
⌂ Largo do Marquês de Marialva § 266 759 330 # Daily (museum: Tue–Sun)
t One of the ornate, gilded side chapels in the town’s imposing Sé
Although building began in 1186, and it was consecrated in 1204, the granite cathedral of Santa Maria was completed in 1250. Romanesque melds with Gothic in this castle-like cathedral whose towers, one turreted, one topped by a blue cone, give the façade an odd asymmetry. Flanking the portal between them are superb 14th-century sculpted Apostles. The 18th-century high altar and marble chancel are by J F Ludwig, the architect of the Palácio de Mafra, while a Renaissance portal in the north transept is by Nicolau Chanterène. In the cloisters, which date from about 1325, statues of the Apostles stand watch at each corner.
A glittering treasury houses sacred art. The most intriguing exhibit here is a 13th-century ivory Virgin whose body opens out to become a triptych of tiny carved scenes: her life in nine episodes.
The Roman temple has been used as an armoury, theatre and slaughterhouse.
Insider Tip
If you’re on the lookout for a quality souvenir, head straight for Rua 5 de Outubro. The shops along this street sell curios and handicrafts, from painted chairs to colourful ceramics, as well as anything you could ever imagine being made from cork.
⌂ Largo do Conde de Vila Flor § 266 730 480 # Apr–Oct: 10am–6pm Tue–Sun; Nov–Mar: 9:30am–5:30pm Tue–Sun
t An 18th-century monstrance on display in the Museu de Évora
This 16th-century palace, once the residence of governors and bishops, is now the regional museum. Évora’s history is all here, from Roman columns to modern sculpture in local marble. Don’t miss The Life of the Virgin, a 16th-century Flemish polyptych in 13 panels.
⌂ Praça 1° de Maio § 266 704 521 # Daily ¢ 1 Jan, Easter, 25 Dec
t The interior of the Capela dos Ossos in the chuch of São Francisco
The main attraction of this 15th-century church is its Capela dos Ossos, a gruesome chapel of bones created in the 17th century from the remains of 5,000 monks. Two leathery corpses, one of a child, dangle from a chain, and a mordant reminder at the entrance reads: Nós ossos que aqui estamos, pelos vossos esperamos (“We bones that are here await yours”).
⌂ Largo dos Colegiais 2 § 266 740 800 # Mon–Sat ¢ Public hols
With the establishment of the Jesuits’ Colégio do Espírito Santo, Évora, already noted for its architecture and sacred art, became a seat of learning. The school flourished for 200 years but was closed in 1759 when the reforming Marquês de Pombal banished the Jesuits from Portugal.
Today part of the University of Évora, the school still has a graceful cloister and notable azulejos – in the classrooms they depict suitably studious themes such as Plato lecturing to his disciples (1744–9). The 18th-century Baroque chapel, now the Sala dos Actos, is used in graduation season.
Évora was named Ebora by the Celts, meaning “of the yew trees”.
⌂ Rua Augusto Filipe Simões # Tue–Sun ∑ palaciocadaval.com
The Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval, on the site of the city’s former castle, dates from the 14th century. The façade is noted for its unusual pentagonal tower. Inside, rooms display medieval armour, illuminated 14th-century manuscripts and 18th-century religious art.
The western entrance to this square is guarded by the vestiges of a Moorish gateway. Both the domed Casa Soure and the double arches of the belvedere on Casa Cordovil at the opposite end, show the Arab influence on architecture in Évora. The central fountain, looking like some futuristic orb, surprisingly dates back to 1556.
⌂ Páteo de São Miguel # Tue–Sun ¢ Public hols
This avant-garde modern exhibition space plays host to local and national artists and the occasional international name, such as Marcel Duchamp. It also promotes the performing arts, staging regular concerts and recitals. The building provides access to the Carriage Museum, and tours to the nearby Cartuxa winery can be booked here.
Évora’s aqueduct was built between 1531 and 1537 by the town’s own eminent architect, Francisco de Arruda. The construction was regarded with wonder, and is even described in Os Lusíadas, the epic by Luís de Camões. It originally carried water as far as the Praça do Giraldo. It was damaged in the 17th century during the Restoration War with Spain, but visitors can follow a well-signposted trail for 8.3 km (5 miles) along a surviving 9-km- (6-mile-) long stretch.
t Évora’s walls, bathed in a gloriously golden evening light
The fortifications that have protected Évora down the centuries form two incomplete concentric circles. The inner ring, of which only fragments are discernible, is Roman, from perhaps as early as the 1st century AD, with Moorish and medieval additions – the two stubby towers that give the Largo da Porta de Moura its name mark an Arab gate.
In the 14th century, new walls were built to encompass the growing town. Completed under Fernando I, these had 40 towers and 10 gates, including the Porta de Alconchel, which still faces the Lisbon road.
When João IV was defiantly declared king in 1640, major fortifications were erected in anticipation of Spanish attack, and it is these 17th-century walls which are most evident today. The walls withstood much battering from the besieging Spanish in 1663.
Experience Alentejo
|
EAT Fialho A historic, award-winning restaurant specializing in recreating traditional recipes, with a good wine list. Book in advance. ⌂ Travessa das Mascarenhas 16, Évora § 266 703 079 ¢ Mon ¡¡¡ Momentos The chef guides you through the menu of the day here, which features local organic produce. Unlike much Portuguese cuisine, the fish and meat dishes are accompanied by beautifully presented salads or vegetables rather than chips. ⌂ Rua 5 de Outubro 61B, Évora § 925 161 423 ¢ Mon & Wed–Fri L, Tue ¡¡ ¡ |