Exploring Alentejo – It’s Évora

Waiting for a flight with fellow wine writers, Évora, Portugal was patiently waiting. So many events had our names on them, more than we could have imagined. This trip was clearly well planned by Tiago Caravana, the director of the Vinhos do Alentejo. We were about to be really well educated about all things Évora, the capital of the Portugal’s Aletejano region.

San Francisco Airport, TAP Airlines waiting room.

The flight from San Francisco, to Lisbon was uneventful, but it did take time, because it was a direct flight. When we arrived in Lisbon, we met with our team captain Jane Kettlewell. She and our van driver quickly swept us away, as we headed northeast to Evora. I later learn that this gentleman was also a diving rescuer, which really impress me. How often do you meet someone so brave?

The highway slipped under the tires and anticipation was high. Three of us had been there before, two of us hadn’t. The distance between Lisbon and Portugal is almost 90 miles (142 Kilometers). I felt like singing camping songs, but I refrained. Too soon? As we rode along, I brought up the cork trees that were slipping by as scenery. Portugal is the world’s largest producer of cork, and the Alentejo is at the heart of it.

Évora, There Are Four Sides to You

The wall that encircles Evora is known as the “Cerca Romana,” translates to “Roman Enclosure.” One Side

The four wall openings were created to align with the north, south, east, and west. When laid out, they were connected to the Roman Empire’s road system. We entered a not-so-busy street on the southeast side. On my first trip, I entered on the southwest gate to Evora, which a completely different experience. So now, within a short walk, I got to see the Roman Temple of Évora, and I thought that was it. I was so wrong.

Tribunal da Relaçãom, coming in from the southeast gate.

I had only traveled on one short street that first trip, not the full city. This second adventure was really an eye opener. This time we drove right past the southwest side entrance, and came to the southeast entrance. When we entered the opening in the wall, the Tribunal da Relação was to our right, with a small, local park to our left.

Small neighborhood park in Evora, across the street from the Tribunal.

Into The Heart of Evora

Once we were settled in Évora, it was time to explore. The Alentejo region is actually a historical and cultural region, rather than a city. We Americans think cities with a population between 50-60,000 are called cities, but we are now in a different country’s culture. Monsaraz is one of the earliest known settlements, in the Alentejo. This area was conquered by the Moors in 1167, and has been inhabited for more than 5,000 years. It served as the historic capital of the Alentejo, prior to Évora taking that title. It’s very quaint, which I discovered on my first trip. But, this wasn’t the Alentejo region’s first capital. That was Monsaraz, below.

Historical Brief Segue ~ Monsaraz

Monsaraz is a Medieval village, in the Alentejo Region of Portugal

Some of the earliest known settlements in the region include Monsaraz, which was conquered from the Moors in 1167. It’s a cultural experience that just grabs a soul. There is a parking space outside of the city proper. This region has existed for more than 5,000 years and actually was the historic capital of the Alentejo, at one time. I could have stayed in Monsaraz for as long as people would have me. It felt just right, because Monsaraz is so artistically entrenched,

Back into Evora

So, we first visited the Church of St. Francis, slipping past other visitors. It reminded me of the Gothic-style Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Lewiston, Maine, which I regularly attended as a child. What I love most about Gothic churches are the stained glass windows.

This is the Church of St. Francis‘s entry (Igreja de São Francisco). It’s a 15th-century church, well known for its ornate Gothic architecture, beautiful frescoes, and its eerie Chapel of Bones.

Let’s Go Inside

This was very reminiscent not only of my youth, but also every other Catholic Church in Europe. Rome had a powerful hold on spiritual directions for a very long time. While Christianity dates back to the first century, the Roman Catholic Church truly emerged in the fourth and fifth centuries AD. Still, it was the eleventh century when it really began to shape itself. The SHAPE of these Roman Catholic churches, was defined by Michelangelo. During his time, the powerful Medici family ruled in Florence. They were a banking family, who ruled the city for most of Michelangelo’s lifetime. Hence, below, that inverted wine-shaped vessel.

Church of St. Francis’s alter

Capela dos Ossos, Chapel of Bones

But there’s a yang to this yin. Attached to this church is a most macabre alter ego, to say the least. It’s called the Chapel of Bones (Capela dos Ossos). This one took my breath away literally, not in awe, but in energy. Well, some awe, too. I find this more than fascinating when I think it was someone’s daily artistic. It was a quiet walk-through, and finding the strength to honor all 5,000 dead beings’ skeletal remains. Monks created this chapel, due to cemeteries being to capacity.  It became a what to do, and how to do it,  in the 16th Century. They gathered bones and took them into what had been their “living room.

Chapel of Bones

Roman Temple Conjoined with Adega da Cartuxa

In the Heart of Évora

On the left of this picture is the still-standing Roman Temple of Évora. It’s also referred to as the Temple of Diana, but today, it’s considered a bit of a misnomer. It’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Évora, and an actual example of ancient Roman architecture. It was built in the first century AD and was dedicated to the Roman emperor Augustus.

On the right of this image below is Adega da Cartuxa. The building itself originated in the 15th century as a convent. It has evolved, becoming a modern hotel, winery, and tasting room. It’s a great example of how these solid buildings can have morphed into multiple lives and purposes, and how they have adapted to changing times, needs, and circumstances.

Roman Temple in Évora

And Then, Back to the Hotel

Passing through the neighborhood of Évora’s, Portuguese cultural commerce, this gives you a small piece of the culture’s pottery.