Évora
Évora (altitude: 300m/985ft000), built on a low hill surrounded by rolling plains, was the old capital of the upland region of Alentejo and is now the chief town of its own district, the see of an archbishop and, since 1979, a University once more. In economic terms, it is the trading center for the agricultural produce of Alentejo (wool, cloth, cork) and has its own important electrical goods industry. In 1986 UNESCO declared Évora a world cultural inheritance site there is no question that the chief town of the Alentejo, with its many important buildings in the old town center, is well worth a visit. To see it properly will take at least two days or more to include the places of interest in the countryside around. In the last few years some sizable modern hotels have sprung up around the old town; the pousada in the town center is particularly stylish.
Grand work placed in the heart of the Alentejo, the Alqueva Dam, is set in the hydrographical basin of the River Guadiana and since 2002 is becoming the biggest artificaial lake in Europe. Monsaraz, 50km/31mi east of Évora, near the Spanish border, still has a very medieval look, and is worth a visit. Its fortifying walls date from the 16th C., and a walk round the sleepy little town should take in the Gothic parish church, the 17th C. pelourinho, the Gothic palace of justice and, above all, the castle, built in the early 14th century during the reign of King Dinis. Monsaraz is a small town bustling with activity; song and dance, art and craft exhibitions and musical entertainment. |
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