Évora

From Arraiolos take the N370 south to the walled city of Évora—Portugal’s pride. Circle the walls to the left to enter the city at the Templo Romano (signposted). If you are not overnighting here, you can easily walk into town from the car park, beyond the city walls, at Templo Romano.Whitewashed, stone-framed Évora is called the “Museum City” due to its quantity of historically interesting architecture. It is thought that the Romans had a settlement here in the 1st century AD that was greatly expanded by the Moors from the 8th to the 12th centuries, when Gerald the Fearless captured it for the Christians. During the next three centuries Évora was the preferred residence of the monarchs of Portugal. A Jesuit university was founded here in the mid-16th century, at the height of Évora’s glory as the intellectual center of the country. When Phillip II succeeded to the Portuguese throne in 1580, he quickly annexed Évora to Spain and a long period of decline followed, although the first episode in the war of liberation against Spain occurred here in the 1630s. Today the town is a lively market center for the produce from the surrounding Alentejo Plains and a justifiably famous tourist attraction. Many of the major sights are around the pousada and Portugal’s best-preserved Roman structure, Templo Romano, is found right outside its door. Across the square is the Art Museum with one of the country’s top collections, and the impressive 13th-century Cathedral, one of whose 16th-century towers has an intriguing tiled spire. Both merit a visit. Next to the pousada’s entrance is the Church of Saint John the Evangelist, which has some pretty azulejos. Past the church is the Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval, whose north tower formed a section of the old Roman wall. Another must is a visit to the Praça do Giraldo, a bustling square and center of the town’s activity, with medieval arches and a marble Renaissance fountain—the last sight seen by the many Inquisition victims who went to the stake here. From here up to the cathedral and down to the walls is the main shopping district, which sells everything from souvenirs to hardware. At various points you can also get views of the city walls, which are of Roman, Visigothic, and medieval origin.