What You Will Do
Évora, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a museum sightseeing city with a vast historical and cultural wealth. The ruins of the Temple of Diana are a good example of the Roman presence in the city and the cathedral is an example of medieval times.
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Itinerary
1
Evora
1 hour
Topped by an imposing cathedral, Évora is laid out over a gently sloping hill rising out of the huge Alentejo plain. It guards its historic centre with a vast outer wall and represents a valuable cultural legacy that UNESCO has classified World Heritage.
The city, with its narrow streets of Moorish origin contrasting with squares where the light floods in, holds two millennia of hsitory. Conquered in 59 B.C. by the Romans, they named it "Liberalitas Julia". In this period, Évora gained great importance as can be witnessed from the remains of that time: the ruins of a fine temple dated towards the end of the second century, various parts of the wall and the gateway more recently called Dona Isabel in addition to the remains of thermal baths below what is now the Municipal Council building.
Little remains of the Visigoth period (5th - 8th centuries). There then followed the Moorish period begun with the city's conquest by Tárique. This lasted through to Christian reconquest in the 12th century. Yeborah, as it became known, had already received an indelible Moorish influence, most clearly seen in the Mouraria neighbourhood.
After the Reconquest, in addition to between the inner and outer walls, urban development moved beyond the city's walls. The city was home to the court of various Portuguese kings of the first and second dynasties. During this period it was endowed with various palaces and monuments, particularly during the reigns of kings João II and Manuel (15th and 16th centuries).
Wander its streets and absorb the secret soul that a diverse range of cultural influences has laid down in this city of the World. There are also excellent restaurants and bars, esplanades, arts and handicraft stores and the youthful nature of those attending its university all adding up to a dynamic of the present with its roots very firmly in the past.
2
Templo Romano de Evora (Templo de Diana)
30 minutes
The Roman Temple, over 2000 years old, is the ex-libris monument of Évora and is one of the most important historic ruins in the country.
The Roman temple in Évora was built in the first century, during the time of Caesar Augustus. It has a long history, serving as testimony to many transformations and different uses over the centuries. It was practically destroyed when the Barbarians occupied the Iberian peninsular in the fifth century, and served as a bank vault and butcher’s to Evora castle in the 14th century.
Its original Roman design was only recovered in the 19th century, in one of the first archaeological interventions in Portugal. It is a testimony to the Roman forum of the city of Évora, consecrated to the Imperial cult, thus clarifying a 17th-century tradition that claimed that the temple had been consecrated to the goddess Diana. For this reason, it was identified for many years as the Temple of Diana. Recent excavations have shown that it was surrounded by a portico and water mirror.
3
Igreja de Sao Francisco
30 minutes
The São Francisco Church is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and grandest churches in Portugal and, of course, the city of Évora. It is a church of Gothic-Manueline architecture and was built between 1480 and 1510. The decoration was by royal painters Francisco Henriques, Jorge Afonso and Garcia Fernandes.
The Church of St. Francis is deeply linked to the history of Portugal, more precisely to the events that marked the period of maritime expansion. This connection can be seen in the symbols of the magnificent nave with the vault: the cross of the Order of Christ and the emblems of the founding kings, King John II and King Manuel I.
4
Cathedral of Evora (Se Catedral de Evora)
45 minutes
The See! In the distance you can see its silhouetted silhouette in the urban landscape. Better known as Évora Cathedral or Évora Cathedral, its real name is Sé Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption. It is the largest medieval cathedral in Portugal and is unparalleled in the rest of the country.
The Évora Cathedral “protects” the city from the highest, the place chosen for other iconic buildings in Évora such as the Roman Temple of Évora (Temple of Diana), the Évora Museum or the Eugénio de Almeida Center for Art and Culture. .
But let's go to the cathedral. To get there, you just have to go up Rua 5 de Outubro, one of the best to buy Alentejo handicrafts. The Évora Cathedral, whose construction was begun in 1186 and consecrated in 1204, was completed only in 1250. It is a fascinating and imposing monument. All granite is marked by the transition from Romanesque to Gothic.
It was improved during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, being from that time the high choir, the pulpit, the baptistery and the arch of the Chapel of Our Lady of Piety or Chapel of Esporão (1529). This chapel of the Évora Cathedral is an unusual testimony of plateresque hybrid architecture.
In the eighteenth century, the Cathedral became richer with the construction of the chancel, sponsored by D. João V. Here, the marbles from Estremoz assume particular importance in the surprising combination with the rigidity of the Roman-Gothic lines.
One can also contemplate in that chapel a beautiful Crucifix, called Father of Christ, which is above the painting of Our Lady of the Assumption; allegorical statues of busts of St. Peter and St. Paul; and a spectacular pipe organ from the Renaissance period.
Two towers of the medieval period can be seen on either side of the Évora's facade. The tower on the south side is the bell tower, the one whose bells ring in the time of the city. On either side of its portal are spectacular sculptures of 14th century Apostles by Mestre Pêro.
Outside the Évora Cathedral, however, the juniper is the most spectacular architectural element. The lantern cruising tower of D. Dinis's reign, crowned by a stone scale needle, is in fact the ex-libris of this monument.
The grandeur of the Sé de Évora can also be seen in the three great naves inside. In the highest of the three, the central nave, is the altar of Our Lady of the Angel (or Nossa Senhora do Ó). All in baroque carvings, with gothic images of the Virgin Mary in marble and the Angel Gabriel. Also on the central aisle, you can admire the pulpit and a beautiful pipe organ of the Renaissance period.
The ancient Chapels of St. Lawrence and the Holy Christ and the Chapels of the Relics and the Blessed Sacrament, decorated with gilded carvings, open in transept. Here, on the northern top, is the spectacular Renaissance portal of the Morgados do Esporão Chapel.
Near the entrance, on the left nave, opens the baptistery, enclosed by beautiful Renaissance railings. In the fourteenth-century cloisters you can see Evangelist statues in every corner. The cloister of the Évora Cathedral, a beautiful Gothic testimony, is enhanced by the funeral chapel of its founder, Bishop D. Pedro. His gothic tomb is still there. Recently, the tombs of the late 20th-century Archbishops of Évora have also been placed in the cloister.
The choir is from the Manueline period. It has a valuable 16th century oak wood chair, with carved Flemish designs depicting mythological, naturalistic and rural scenes.
The Sé Catedral de Évora also includes a Museum of Sacred Art with a valuable collection in the areas of parliamentary, painting, sculpture and jewelery. Among the various pieces kept here are a 13th Century Virgin (Our Lady of Paradise), the Reliquary Cross of the Holy Wood (14th century), the Staff of Cardinal D. Henrique and the Archbishops Gallery. This museum is housed in the former Colégio dos Moços do Coro da Sé, a building adjacent to the cathedral.
There are monuments that by themselves steal every word. The Évora Cathedral is one such monument. This true rarity is gradually found high above the city in all its glory. Be sure to visit and climb to the terrace for the best view of Évora by far.
5
Capela dos Ossos
30 minutes
When we talk about Évora, many people come to the Chapel of Bones. Either because it's scary or simply because it's a monument like any other in the city. All are spectacular, if not for Évora World Heritage, but some… are even more fascinating than others!
The Chapel of Bones is one of Évora's best known monuments, we can say perhaps its ex-libris, and is located at Praça 1º de Maio. It is part of the no less well known Church of San Francisco. One of the experiences in Alentejo not to be missed!
The Chapel of Bones was built in the seventeenth century on the initiative of three Franciscan friars whose purpose was to convey the message of the transience and fragility of human life. This message is clearly conveyed to visitors right at the entrance through the warning: "We bones that are here, for your waiting." It shows, in the background, the macabre taste of the Baroque man for necrophilia.
This chapel of skulls and bones was built on the site of the brothers' dormitory and reflection room. It is formed by three naves of about 18,70m of length and 11m of width. Natural light strategically enters these ships through only three small cracks on the left. It is a rather dark place! Be brave…
The walls of the Chapel of Bones and its eight pillars are lined with carefully arranged human bones and skulls, joined by brown cement. The vaults are brick plastered white and painted with motifs that symbolize or allude to death. In addition to the bones, the Bones Chapel is also decorated with religious statues and a Renaissance and Baroque painting.
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The arches are decorated with rows of skulls, cornices and white ships. It is estimated that there are about 5000 human skulls found there, among countless bones, from the graves of the convent church and other churches and cemeteries in the city.
“We bones that are here, for your hope”
In the sixteenth century there were close to forty-two monastic cemeteries in the city, which occupied too much space. By way of solution, those monks extracted the bones from the floor and used them to build and “decorate” this chapel.
The Bones Chapel is a monument of penitential architecture. Dedicated to the Lord of the Steps, known image of the eborenses as Lord Jesus of the House of Bones. This image vividly and impressively represents Christ's suffering as he walked to Calvary with the cross on his back.
Learn more about our guided tour in Évora. Discover all about the Chapel of Bones with our local guide.
Yes, it is true that a chapel full of bones can be sinister. One might even think that such a place is impossible to exist. But there is! And… visiting Évora without visiting the Bones Chapel makes no sense.
This is an otherworldly experience that is worth living and sharing with others. We are waiting for you!
6
Tapetes de Arraiolos - Centro Interpretativo
30 minutes
The “Arraiolos Rug” linked to our county, by its origin in the village that gave it the name, known worldwide, has a significant cultural and socio-economic interest.
Its manufacture in Arraiolos in a period prior to the 15th century attests to the importance of these true works of art, whose tradition we want to keep alive, and the oldest reference to the Arraiolos Rugs dates back to the late 16th century, as we can confirm in the Municipal Inventory (Dr. Jorge Fonseca), with indication of the existence of ... ”a new carpet of the revaluated in two millers…” - document dated 1598.
It is also certain that the archaeological excavations carried out in the Praça do Meguesio at the beginning of the 21st century, under the responsibility of Archaeologist Ana Gonçalves, without prejudice to a more detailed investigation, induce the beginning of the production of carpets in Arraiolos to a pre-century phase. XV.
Therefore, the Municipality of Arraiolos reiterates the need to preserve, safeguard, certify and streamline this craft activity and identity element of our history, with the execution of the municipal initiative project of the Interpretive Center of the Tapete de Arraiolos, but also with the fulfillment by competent authorities, of the implementation of the certification process of the Arraiolos Rug in accordance with the legislation unanimously approved by the Assembly of the Republic.
7
Arraiolos Castle
30 minutes
Arraiolos Castle is considered one of the most beautiful and emblematic in the world by Port.com magazine.
Arraiolos has one more reason to be proud of, this time with the heritage that once defended the borders of its territory and which today is an unmissable tourist attraction.
From the numerous fortifications that have been built since the Middle Ages in the Portuguese territory, from north to south of the country, the magazine chose 12 castles, considered as the most beautiful in Portugal and emblematic of the world.
Arraiolos Castle, built in 1305, is one of the few in the world with circular architecture, the interior building is a little degraded by time, although the ellipsoidal walls and its vast lawn are in excellent condition. Located on the top of São Pedro hill, it offers a 360 degree view of the Alentejo plain.
8
Igreja da Misericordia
30 minutes
Belonging to the Brotherhood of the Holy House of Mercy of Arraiolos, established in 1524, this temple, exemplary of the Baroque style, was founded at the end of that same century XVI.
Located in the historical center of the village, it displays inside, lining its walls, an interesting set of tile panels of the century XVIII.
Construction era: 16th century
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