April 2017 Travel to Western Spain and Portugal Part 3: World Heritage No. 11 – Historic Centre of Évora (Revisited)

April 2017 western Spain and Portugal of the journey
April 2017 western Spain and Portugal of the journey

Date of visit: 1 and 2 May 2017, overnight

Evora is a provincial city of Alentejo, located about 2 hours east from Lisbon. On this May Day, after sightseeing at Cape Roca and Sintra, we moved to this city and stayed here for one night. I arranged a posada in the old town.

Stay at the Posada, right in front of the Roman Temple.

This might be my first time to stay at Posada. I was able to book it on Booking.com. It was a nice building, but the room was just average.

Evora 01052017-_MG_1391
IMG_9931.JPG

A light walk in the old town

The only thing to see is the Cathedral in the city. The rest is just a stroll in the old town. Actually, I visited Évora 9 years ago. But I honestly do not remember what kind of place it was.

IMG_9922.JPG

Evora is located in the center of the Alentejo (beyond the Tagus River) and has a very old history dating back to Roman times. It is surrounded by walls, and within the walls there are several religious buildings, including the Temple of Diana, which was built in Roman times, and the Cathedral. There is also an aqueduct in the northeast of the city.

Evora 01052017-APC_0174

This area is also famous for its wine. There were many shops selling wine in the town. I also bought some wine here. I was happy to buy good quality wine at a reasonable price.

Categorical is solemn and beautiful.

The city’s landmark cathedral is a must-see. It was built in the 12th or 13th century. It was built from the 12th century to the 13th century. It was built at the time of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic, and the inside was Gothic style at first glance, but if you look at the photos again, you will certainly feel Romanesque style.

IMG_9918.JPG
Evora 01052017-APC_0171
APC_0179.jpg
Evora 02052017-_MG_1415

However, I don’t understand Gothic and Romanesque architecture that well, so this is just a subjective view.

APC_0194.jpg
Evora 02052017-_MG_1419
Evora 02052017-_MG_1422

You can go up to the roof of this cathedral. From there you can see the city of Évora and the plain of the Alentejo.

Evora 02052017-_MG_1413
Evora 02052017-_MG_1414

The Evora Museum is located next to the Cathedral. It is a set with a visit to the Cathedral. When I entered the Cathedral, I was able to open the door by myself with the barcode of the ticket I bought.

Loios Church, right next to the Posada

The church dates from the 15th century, but it was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1755, and the beautiful azulejo decoration that can be seen today dates from the early 18th century. It is said that it depicts the life of St. Lawrence, who influenced this Royos monastery.

Evora 02052017-APC_0205
Evora 02052017-APC_0209

It looks like the basement was catacombs.

Evora 02052017-_MG_1424

In addition, the adjacent Posada seems to have been a monastery here. You can also visit the Duke of Cadaval’s residence next to it. This is an ordinary house. The terrace had become a cafe restaurant.

Evora 02052017-APC_0219

That was it for our sightseeing. There were some other things to see at the university, but we missed them, lol. Anyway, Evora is a small city but has a lot to offer and it’s not as crowded as other famous tourist spots, so I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to take a relaxing trip to the countryside.

The day continued with vigorous sightseeing. Next, we headed to another World Heritage Site in Portugal. (To be continued)

タイトルとURLをコピーしました