The region has been inhabited by mankind since time immemorial, and all around Évora there is a remarkable heritage of megalithic monuments. You should visit the Cromlech of Almendres, a place of sublime mystery some 12 km from Évora. It is a circle of some 95 monoliths which is the finest in Iberia. Also near Évora is the Great Dolmen of Zambujeiro, the largest in Europe, with six stones, each 6 meters high, forming a huge chamber. Nearby is also a 7 tonne phallic monument, standing as the centerpiece in the Xerez Cromlech, a group of some 50 menhirs.
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Cromlech de Almendres |
S. Domingos Convent Archaeological Museum
This museum located in the former Dominican Convent, founded at the end of the 16th century, is situated in Montemor-O-Novo. The museum involves archaeology, pottery, religious art, ethnography and tauromachy rooms.
The Escoural Cave
Located just outside of Montemor-o-Novo, it is the only known cave-dwelling in Portugal to have wall paintings and engravings from the Upper Paleolithic period.
The cave was discovered in 1963 and was classified national monument.
After Évora, you can go and visit Estremoz, a city perched on a hill, surrounded by fortified walls, and renowned for the numerous marble quarries to be found in the area. Today there are two cities, the former city next to the castle and the modern city below.
Estremoz was an Arabic city during the Christian conquest; its castle and its royal palace were built by D.Dinis in the 13th century. Then other walls were built in the 17th century. Estremoz was, during the Middle Ages, the scene of several political meetings.
The Castle still has its 27 m high donjon. The former royal palace, restored in the 18th century, now shelters a "Pousada". The room where Queen Saint Isabel died in 1336 was transformed into a Chapel in the 17th century, it is decorated with 18th century azulejos that tell us episodes of the Queen's life.
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Estremoz |
The parochial church dedicated to Santa Maria is Renaissance style. Estremoz still has other historic buildings as well as a Municipal Museum. Estremoz is renowned for its potteries intended to keep water cool and to serve it during meals. Some rooms are decorated with geometrical patterns or with stylized foliages and inlaid with fragments of white marble. Estremoz is also known for its small statues made out of earth and painted in lively colours representing animals, religious or profane persons.
