Monday, 16 November 2009 09:51
With its fortified walls and Moorish influence, Évora’s 2,000-year-history is a significant part of its tourism appeal. Évora, a city with 50,000 residents, is located 130 kilometers (80.8 miles) from Lisbon. Évora’s long history began with the Roman occupation, then the Visigoths took over, then the Moors, and then the Christians re-conquered the city in 1165. Évora’s Jesuit University, founded in 1559, brought many important scholars to the city. However it closed in 1759 after Jesuits were banished by a decree from the Minister of the Kingdom, Marquis of Pombal. The university’s closure caused the city to lose its splendor from earlier times. The rebirth of the city began when the university re-opened in 1973, bringing thousands of students into the city. Today Évora is a very lively city with many exhibitions, music festivals, theatre festivals, cafés, bars, restaurants and esplanades. In 1986, UNESCO named Évora a World Heritage site, adding to the rebirth of the city. This recognition brought in more tourists, which brought in more hotels, such as the Pousada de Évora. Since many of the first Portuguese kings chose Évora as their headquarters, many palaces, churches and monuments were built. These monuments were created by artists from Flanders, Italy and Spain. One of the well-known churches built during that era was The São Francisco Church, which houses the Chapel of Bones (Capelo dos Ossos). The city’s Moorish influence is evident in the “Mouraria” quarter and many Morrish patios throughout the city. These interior patios are a characteristic of North African architecture. The city’s famous Roman Temple is significant of the Roman occupation 2,000 years ago. Located in the Largo do Conda Vila Flor square, the Roman Temple still has many columns intact. The marble pieces of the columns came from nearby Estremoz. These columns are Portugal’s only Roman ruins. Many years after the Romans lost power, the temple’s origin was forgotten and a building was created inside the columns. Over the years, it was a slaughterhouse, an armory and a theatre. In 1870, residents realized that it had been built by the Romans and torn down the building inside the columns. Other great places to visit in Évora include the Old Café Arcada, a fountain with eight gargoyles, and Estaus Palace. www.visitalentejo.pt
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Portugal National Tourist Office