Thousands of tourists from all over the world come to see the sights in Evora (Portugal). The center of this small town, influenced by many peoples, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986 and an open-air museum showcasing historical buildings dating back to antiquity.
Location and history of the city
Evora is the capital of the province of Alto Alentejo in Portugal and is located in the southeastern part of the country, 109 km from Lisbon at an altitude of 245 m above sea level. It is home to 42 thousand people. Many buildings from the time of the Romans, then the Moors, have been preserved here - more than 30 churches and monasteries, Moorish-style palaces, belonging to the Portuguese kings in the Middle Ages.
The cities were founded by representatives of the Lusitanian tribe, who called their settlement Ebora. In the 80s. BC e. Roman troops came here, who became masters for 7 years, led by the commander Quintus Sertorius. Then the city was conquered by Caesar,who renamed it Liberalitas Julia.
In 8 tbsp. Moorish tribes entered here and began to call the city Jabura. In 1128, the Knights Templar came to the settlement, who were able to recapture it in the 1160s. The most prosperous period in Ebor is considered to be 15-16 centuries, when a university was built here, which accompanied its gradual development and enrichment. In the 17th century the city was conquered by the Spaniards, which affected it for the worse.
Main attractions in Evora (Portugal):
- Largo das Portas de Moura Square, in the middle of which there is a beautiful Renaissance fountain;
- Se Cathedral, built in the 12th century. gothic style;
- the ancient Temple of Diana (2nd century) is the only representative of the surviving buildings of the Roman period;
- Museum of Ecclesiastical Art;
- Local History Museum located in the Bishop's Palace;
- Church of San Francisco, where there is a chapel made of human bones and skulls.
The main part of the city center is occupied by buildings of the 16th-17th centuries, including beautiful courtyards. Narrow labyrinth streets paved with cobblestones pass between them. Many houses are whitewashed and decorated with Moorish arches.
Ancient Monuments
The history of the city of Evora in Portugal has more than 2 thousand years, as can be seen from the standing megaliths in the nearest prehistoric settlement, near the city of Alto di San Bento. Scientists attribute them to the Mesolithic and Neolithic eras, in total there are more than 130dolmens.
The most famous cromlech is Almendrish, located 12 km from Evora, consisting of hundreds of granite stones, decorated with drawings and symbols. They are arranged in an oval and were supposedly used for religious purposes.
Another monument, which is evidence of the settlement of Evora from 3 thousand BC. e., - Giraldo Castle. It is a fortress from the Bronze Age or Eneolithic, also contains traces of the medieval period.
Main Square
The central square of Evora (Portugal) is named after Giraldo (Praça do Giraldo). In the iconography of the city, this is one of the legendary heroes of the country - Gerald (Giraldo) the Fearless, who became famous in the era of the Reconquista. Due to the disgrace of the Portuguese king, Giraldo came to Évora, where the Arab caliphate was in power. He entered the service, and then became the organizer of an uprising against the Moors, as a result of which the Arabs were expelled from the city.
On the coat of arms of the city, he is depicted as a rider on a horse carrying a bloody sword. Below are the severed heads of the Moors (male and female). On Giraldo Square in the Middle Ages, public executions and burnings of citizens sentenced by the Inquisition were carried out.
Now the square is the center of the city, where you can sit in a cafe and admire the surrounding ancient architecture of buildings and a fountain. There are many souvenir shops among the ancient arcades.
Roman temple
One of the most ancient sights of Évora in Portugal (photo below) - Roman TempleDiana, who is not related to the mythical goddess of the hunt. It is located near Se Cathedral. The temple was erected in the 1st century. n. e. on the main square of the city by order of Emperor Augustus (Augustus), who was considered a deity during his reign.
In the 5th c. German troops attacked the city, which partially destroyed the ancient building. During the Middle Ages, the ruins were incorporated into the Évor Fortress and were used as a meat pavilion or slaughterhouse.
In 1871, the restoration of the temple of Diana began, during which the buildings of the Middle Ages were removed, and only Roman ones were left. The base of the building has an area of 375 square meters. m, on top of which there are 14 Corinthian columns made of granite topped with marble capitals - that's all that remains of the ancient Temple of Diana. There used to be a staircase at the south end of it, which collapsed.
Se Cathedral
One of the main attractions in Évora (Portugal) is the Catholic Church of Se. It was built over 64 years (1186-1204) on the site where the Moorish mosque used to stand. The cathedral was built in the Romanesque style, but after 100 years it was rebuilt, giving it Gothic features. A few more centuries later, a chapel, a gallery and the main baroque chapel were added to it.
Ancient legends say that in 1497 it was here that the famous Portuguese navigator Vasco de Gama received a blessing, setting off for the lands of the East with a distant expedition.
The main decoration of the cathedral is 2 towers with domes and spiers that frame the stone facade. One of the spiers is lined with beautiful tiles. The interior consists of a nave and 2 aisles. The rich altar was built of white, black and pink marble in the 18th century.
The spiritual center of the cathedral is the statue of the pregnant Virgin Mary, who is known as the Queen of Heavenly Mothers. For several centuries, young women have come here to pray for their children, turning to the Mother of God. Nearby is a statue of the Archangel Gabriel, bearing the good news. The building now houses the Museum of Religious Art.
Church of San Francisco and Chapel of Bones
The building was built in 1480-1510. in the Gothic Manueline style. The project was made by M. Lorenzo and P. di Triglio, and the artists Fr. Enriquez, J. Afonso and G. Fernandez were able to decorate it, illustrating the historical events that took place during the years of the country's maritime domination.
The most famous and popular attraction in Evora (Portugal) is the Chapel of Bones (Capela dos Ossos), located next to the Cathedral of St. Francis. It was built during the Habsburg dynasty in the 17th century. as a metaphor reflecting the transience of human life, at the direction of 3 Franciscan friars.
All the walls of the chapel and 8 columns are made of human skulls and bones, the number of which is estimated at 5 thousand. They were collected in the medieval cemeteries of Évora (Portugal). The interior of the chapelThe walls are decorated with 2 complete skeletons in limbo, according to legend, they were left from a man and a child cursed by a jealous wife.
The vaults are painted with picturesque drawings based on death and are accompanied by original phrases on the same theme.
Evora Palaces
There are many beautiful palaces in the city:
- The Palace of the Duke of Cadaval (Palacio dos Duques de Cadaval) - built in 1390 and donated to the governor of the city Martim Afonso de Melo, and then passed into the possession of the kings of Portugal, the building is separated from the monastery of Lous and the church, facing the Roman temple of Diana and decorated with battlements; the façade was restored in the 17th century; located in the historical center of Évora.
- King Manuel's Palace (Royal Palace) - located in the middle of the City Park, at first it was part of the San Francisco monastery, and in the 14th century. was rebuilt for the king. The architecture combines the features of the Gothic, neo-Moorish style and the Renaissance; only a beautiful gallery has survived from it, where an exhibition space is now arranged.
- The Convento dos Lóios Palace in Évora (Portugal, see photo below) was built in the 15th century. in the Manueline style. Its striking sights are the interior walls covered with white and blue tiles of the 17th-18th century and the chapel decorated with intricate patterns.
University of Evora
The educational institution was founded in 1551 by the Jesuits at the peak of the city's heyday. Portuguese kings came here more than once, herestudied artists, poets and painters. In 1756, when the importance of Évora declined and the Jesuits were expelled from the country, the university was closed.
In 1832, after the end of the civil wars and the overthrow of King Miguel, the institution found a new life. However, the first students appeared here only in 1973. The ancient building is decorated from the inside with picturesque panels, and in the classrooms there are benches and tables where students sat several centuries ago.
As evidenced by reviews of Évora (Portugal), the town delights tourists with its picturesque ancient streets, ancient buildings and numerous temples, churches, museums and theaters.
