Évora

Évora is a city and a municipality in the district of Évora, in the Alto Alentejo region of southern Portugal. Due to its well-preserved old town centre, still partially enclosed by medieval walls, and many monuments dating from various historical periods, including a Roman temple, Évora is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network.

Understand




Évora (EH-voo-ruh, /ˈɛ.vu.ɾɐ/) is a pleasant, medium-sized city and has numerous monuments. The many monuments erected by major artists of each period of the city's history testify to Évora's lively cultural and rich artistic and historical heritage. The variety of architectural styles (Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, Renaissance, Baroque), the palaces and the picturesque labyrinth of squares and narrow streets of the city centre are all part of the rich heritage of this museum-city.

History
Évora has a history dating back more than five millennia. It was known as Ebora by the Celtici, a tribal confederacy, who made the town their regional capital.

The Romans conquered the town in 57 BC and expanded it into a walled town. Vestiges from this period (city walls and ruins of Roman baths) still remain. The city grew in importance because it lay at the junction of several important routes. The monumental Corinthian temple in the centre of the town dates from the first century AD and was probably erected in honour of emperor Augustus.

During the Barbarian invasions, Évora came under the rule of the Visigothic king Leovigild in 584. The town was later raised to the status of a cathedral city. Nevertheless, this was a time of decline and very few artifacts from this period remain.

In 715, the city was conquered by the Moors under Tariq ibn-Ziyad. During Moorish rule (715–1165), the town began to prosper again and developed into an agricultural centre with a fortress and a mosque. The present character of the city is evidence of the Moorish influence.

The town came under the rule of the Portuguese king Afonso I in 1166. It then flourished as one of the most dynamic cities in the Kingdom of Portugal during the Middle Ages, especially in the 15th century. The court of the first and second dynasties resided here for long periods, constructing palaces, monuments and religious buildings.

It particularly thrived during the Avis Dynasty (1385–1580). Évora became a major centre for the humanities and artists, such as the sculptor Nicolau Chanterene; and the painters Cristóvão de Figueiredo and Gregório Lopes. Évora also held a large part of the slave population of Portugal.

The Battle of Évora was fought on July 29, 1808 during the Peninsular War. An outnumbered Portuguese-Spanish force of 2,500, assisted by poorly-armed peasant militiamen, tried to stop a French-Spanish division but it was routed. Breaking into the town, the attackers slaughtered combatants and non-combatants before thoroughly pillaging the area. The French inflicted as many as 8,000 casualties while suffering only 290 of their own.

Climate
Évora inland location makes it one of Portugal's hottest cities and prone to strong heat waves. Even so, its climate is milder than some areas farther inland across the Spanish border.

Get in
You can get to Évora in several ways:
 * The nearest motorway to Évora is the A6 (Autoestrada do Alentejo Central), offering access from Lisbon (via the bridges on A2 or A12), Montemor-o-Novo, Estremoz, Borba, Elvas and Badajoz, Spain, where it meets the A-5 from Madrid. The N114 road (from the west) and the N18/IP2 road (from the east) provide the connection from A6 into the city.
 * The nearest motorway to Évora is the A6 (Autoestrada do Alentejo Central), offering access from Lisbon (via the bridges on A2 or A12), Montemor-o-Novo, Estremoz, Borba, Elvas and Badajoz, Spain, where it meets the A-5 from Madrid. The N114 road (from the west) and the N18/IP2 road (from the east) provide the connection from A6 into the city.
 * The nearest motorway to Évora is the A6 (Autoestrada do Alentejo Central), offering access from Lisbon (via the bridges on A2 or A12), Montemor-o-Novo, Estremoz, Borba, Elvas and Badajoz, Spain, where it meets the A-5 from Madrid. The N114 road (from the west) and the N18/IP2 road (from the east) provide the connection from A6 into the city.

Get around
One of the nicer ways to see the city is by horse carriage ride. You can find them near the cathedral.

Otherwise there's no real problem in walking between most of the main sights.

See




Do

 * There is a large park (Jardim Público) where you can have a pleasant stroll.
 * Be seen and see others at the Praça do Giraldo, the city's social center.
 * Visit Évora University main building (on the site of an ancient convent, founded in 1559).
 * Visit the cathedral and go up onto the roof for spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.
 * Rent a bike and enjoy a ride along the Ecopista, a rail-to-trail bikeway.

Buy
Shops are open a little later than other places in Europe, usually around 09:30-19:30, and the lunch breaks can be quite long, usually from 13:00 to 15:00.

Shopping streets


 * Rua 5 de Outubro: From Praça do Giraldo to Sé. It's a pedestrian street with several small shops where you can buy souvenirs and clothes. The most typical souvenirs are honey, olives, all kinds of object made by cork, home made jams, slippers made by sheep wool, etc.
 * Rua João de Deus: independent shops and services and known brands such as Pull and Bear, Pepe Jeans, and Kids' Class.

There are no malls in Évora.

Markets


 * Farmers' market, praça 1º de Maio (close to the public garden). 06:00-13:00 Saturday. An out door market offering the freshest fruits and vegetables from the local farmers.
 * Food market, praça 1º de Maio (inside the building in the middle of the square). Every day in the morning. You can find fresh fish, vegetables, fruits, cheeses, hams, flowers, bread, meat, and other local food.

Local specialties
There are several traditional dishes:
 * Açorda
 * Migas com carne de porco
 * Carne de porco à alentejana

There are also several traditional desserts, all from conventual origin:
 * Sericaia
 * Bolo podre
 * Pão de Rala
 * Mel e Nóz

Drink
Drink and carry plenty of water especially in the hotter months (July through September). Especially in August, do not to go out in the sun between 14:00 and 16:00, unless you are used to it.

Going in for a drink is a perfectly acceptable way of getting in to see the public areas of a Pousada.

Alentejo wines are some of the best-loved in Portugal, and there's a variety of them. Some can be quite expensive.

Sleep
There's a multitude of bed and breakfasts, though most will be fully booked during the high season.

Go next

 * Alcácer do Sal — hilltop city on the River Sado
 * Algarve — southern region with many popular beaches and resorts
 * Beja — historical hilltop city
 * Castelo Branco — city with a Templar castle and offering a good base to explore nearby nature parks
 * Castelo de Vide — town known for its lovely gardens and lush vegetation
 * Fátima — Portugal's most visited pilgrimage site
 * Lisbon — the nation's capital
 * Marvão – mountaintop town
 * Monsaraz — In less than an hour, you can get by car to (exit via IP2 to Beja, then turn to Reguengos), a nice, well preserved walled town on top of a hill overlooking the Alqueva Dam waters. Around it are a couple of important menhirs, one of them with engravings (Balhoa) and the other about 5 meters high, and a anta (passage dolmen). The Xares cromlech is a conjectural reconstruction, and was removed from its original place due to the Alqueva waters.
 * Portalegre – cathedral city noted for its tapestries
 * Setúbal — waterside city
 * Santarém — the capital of the historical Ribatejo province is full of churches