Fortifications of Elvas are World Heritage

Thursday, 09 August 2012 17:05

The Alentejo garrison border city of Elvas and its fortress have been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list. UNESCO put it this way:

The site, extensively fortified from the 17th to 19th centuries, represents the largest guarded dry ditch system in the world. Within its walls, the town contains barracks and other military buildings, as well as churches and monasteries. While Elvas contains remains dating back to the 10th century A.D., its fortification began when Portugal regained independence in 1640. The fortifications, designed by Dutch Jesuit Padre João Piscásio “represent the best surviving example of the Dutch school of fortifications anywhere. The site also contains the Amoreira Aqueduct, built to enable the stronghold to withstand lengthy sieges”.