Avis Castle

Avis Castle`s story starts in the year 1211, when King Afonso II awarded the Knights of Evora the `lands of Avis` under the condition that a castle be built to protect the surrounding area. As a result, Avis was recognized as a town by the Portuguese crown four years later. Built from Medieval architectural components, the fortified castle included six towers, three of which are still in existence. Ownership of the castle transferred to the Order of Avis in 1223; the military order occupied the castle until 1834. Avis Castle has been listed as one of Portugal`s national architectural and archaeological heritage sites since 1910.

Rua Machado dos Santos and Rua Cerca do Convento/Patio das Cisternas, Avis

Castelo de Vide Castle

Located at the top of a hill in the Sao Mamede mountain range, Castelo de Vide Castle looks ominously down on the namesake city in the valley. It is the defining monument in Castelo de Vide, a city that is referred to as `Sintra of the Alentejo` due to its constant sunshine and lush green vegetation. King Dinis I commissioned the construction of this castle, as he did for other cities across the Alentejo, in the 1300s. The castle fell to the French and Spanish on three occasions in the 18th and 19th centuries, causing it to be deactivated in 1823. The Gothic-style castle features a large main tower and a well-preserved external wall.

Rua Volta do Pe da Torre and Rua de Santa Maria de Cima, Castelo de Vide

Igreja de Santa Maria da Devesa

The church we know today was built on the site of a 14th-century shrine. Construction began in 1789, but with successive wars unfolding in the region and labor shortages occurring afterwards, it was not completed until 1873. The Baroque church, built from brick and granite, includes two bell towers with four large windows apiece. You will find that once you enter the church, there is a separate area housing the Conego Albano Vaz Pinto museum of religious art. This collection covers religious art painted by artists from the Alentejo region, with an emphasis on Castelo de Vide.

Praca Dom Pedro V, 7320-123 Castelo de Vide

Sinagoga de Castelo de Vide

In the era of the early Portuguese kings, a Jewish community thrived in the town of Castelo de Vide. Records indicate a Jewish community and a `Judiaria` (Jewish Quarter) in Castelo de Vide by the early 1300s. When the synagogue welcomed worshippers, it was called the `Beit Ha Midrasch Sefardin`. The synagogue was shuttered when the Jews were expelled from this portion of Iberia in 1496. The Gothic-style building was then converted into private homes, before the government restored it to its 14th century zenith (in 1972).

Rua da Judiaria, 7320-190 Castelo de Vide

Mosteiro de Flor da Rosa

The Flor da Rosa is considered one of the most noteworthy examples of fortified monasterial architecture in the Iberian Peninsula. The Order of Malta was housed in the monastery from 1356 until the government expelled the order in the 19th century. This specific monastery houses a collection of medieval sculpture, part of the National Museum of Ancient Art; an inn; and a tomb which holds the remains of the first Prior of Crato, Alvaro Goncalves Pereira. Classified as a national monument in 1910, the Flor da Rosa has operated as a government pousada since 1995.

Rua Nossa Senhora das Neves, Crato

Anta da Aldeia da Mata

One of the most famous megaliths in the world is Stonehenge in southern England. Portugal is home to a number of megalithic strucutres as well, with Anta da Aldeia da Mata being perhaps the largest and the most famous. The megalith was first arranged over 5,000 years ago. The formation is made up of seven different stone slabs, ranging from three to nine feet in height, arranged in a manner to represent a doorway or gateway. Excavations in the 1950s and 1960s turned up ceramic sculptures and tools that would have been used by prehistoric peoples from the time the megalith was conceived.

On N363 Motorway, left turn before Caminho da Ribeira da Varzea, five miles west of Crato

Ponte de Nossa Senhora da Ajuda

Six and a half miles south of the Forte de Santa Luzia in Elvas, there is a bridge that once linked the settlements of Elvas and Olivenca (now administered by Spain). King Manuel I commissioned the construction of the bridge so the Portuguese army could better support the castle in Olivenca. The 0.2-mile-long span was completed in 1510 and served the borderlands for nearly 200 years, finally closing in 1709 after being damaged in the War of Spanish Succession. Elvas and Olivenca were left without a direct road connection until 2000, when a new bridge was finally built. (The old bridge is located a few hundred feet to the west of the new one.)

Rua Bombeiros Voluntarios de Elvas at the River Guadiana crossing, 6.5 miles south of Forte de Santa Luzia

Forte de Nossa Senhora da Graca

The Fort of Our Lady of Grace was but one of the many fortifications protecting Elvas, an important town on the Portuguese borderlands. Spanish troops routinely fought the Portuguese here during the Restoration War; in fact, between 1658-59 the Spanish took control of the fort. Stronger fortifications were put in place during the Seven Years` War and the War of the Oranges. It later served as a military prison. In 2012, UNESCO named the fort to its list of World Heritage Sites, and shortly after, the Elvas City Council approved a €6 million renovation package aimed at restoring the castle to its zenith and opening it once again to the public. The fort reopened to the public in November 2015.

Off the N246 road, 0.6 miles northwest of Elvas

Forte de Santa Luzia

The Forte de Santa Luzia was one of six forts included in the fortified-town structure found in Elvas. This specific fort was built in 1641, and is unique in that it was the only fortified city in the Alentejo to boast that it had never been conquered by attacking forces (Spanish, French or otherwise). Inside of the heavily fortified walls, there is a military museum that is free of charge to view. The fort is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site listing for the fortified city of Elvas.

Appartado 206 Elvas Codex, 7353 Elvas

Elvas Castle

In 2012, UNESCO named Elvas Castle, located in the town of the same name twenty-six miles east of Estremoz, to their list of World Heritage Sites. The castle was originally built in the 13th century to protect the village of Elvas on the Guadiana River (now the last town on the current motorway before the Spanish border). It played a key role during the Restoration War fought between the Portuguese and the Spanish in the 17th century. The castle was renovated and later opened to the public upon being listed as a national monument in the first decade of the 20th century.

Rua da Parada do Castelo 4-8, 7350-082 Elvas

Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Assuncao

The Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Assuncao (Church of Our Lady of the Assumption) was once called the Cathedral of Elvas because it was the head church of the Diocese of Elvas. Construction on this Manueline-style church occurred between 1517-37, and officially became the seat of the diocese in 1570. Several of the altars are built from Estremoz marble, and an Italian artist hand-carved gilded detailings on the church organ. The Diocese of Elvas was dissolved in 1881, and no extra money was allotted to modify the interior and exterior. A renovation occurred between 2000 and 2009.

Praca da Republica, 7350-002 Elvas

Evoramonte Castle

Eleven miles southwest of Estremoz sits the small town of Evora Monte, where the iconic namesake castle is located. When the Moors were pushed out by the Portuguese in the year 1160, orders were made to build a castle in Evora Monte. The castle was built in an austere Gothic style using granite, stone masonry and marble from the areas around Evora Monte and Estremoz. The castle was fortified in the 13th and 14th centuries, earning a new Renaissance-inspired tower when the old one was destroyed in an earthquake in 1531. The Convention of Evoramonte was signed here in 1834, ending the Liberal Wars. Open to the public today as a national monument, restoration efforts were made in the 1930s and 1940s and between 1971-87.

Rua da Convencao, 7100-308 Evora Monte

Estremoz Castle

Estremoz Castle, built on the highest hill in town, was first commissioned in the 1200s as a royal palace, and would later be turned into a fortress in the centuries-long fight against the Spanish. In 1580, during the Portuguese crisis of succession, the Spanish conquered the castle and the town and would stay for sixty years. The Estremoz regiment of soldiers would help defeat the Spanish in the Battles of Elvas (1659), Ameixial (1663) and Montes Claros (1665). In the 19th century the castle was key in aiding Portuguese troops during the War of the Oranges and the Liberal Wars. Conservation efforts occurred during 1939, 1961, and between 1967-88.

Largo Dom Dinis, 7100-509 Estremoz

Capela de Nossa Senhora dos Martires

The Capela de Nossa Senhora dos Martires (`Chapel of Our Lady of the Martyrs`) was built in the late 14th century, although a basilica had been previously built on the site since the time of the Romans. The Holy House of Mercy of Estremoz have been the occupants of this chapel since 1579. Cardinals and kings have added their own special touches to the chapel building through the years; examples of Gothic, Manueline and Rococo architecture can be seen throughout. Much of the chapel`s original religious art was stolen in 1912; copies of the original were installed in the 1950s. Multiple renovation efforts occurred in the 20th century, at least one per decade in the fifty years between 1938-88.

Sitio dos Martires, Santa Maria, 7100 Estremoz

Convento das Maltesas

The Convento das Maltesas (`Convent of the Order of Malta`), also known as the Claustro da Misericordia (`Cloister of Mercy`) was encouraged to take root in the Alentejo by Infante Dom Luis, the Duke of Beja. Nuns in the Order have occupied the convent from the 1500s to 1834, and again since 1881 when the Sisters of Mercy moved into the convent. Clergy and academics from the parish of Santo Andre, the Estremoz Science Center and the University of Evora are also in residence at the convent. Gothic, Manueline, Renaissance-era and Rococo art and architecture can be seen in various parts of the convent.

Rossio Marques de Pombal, 7100-513 Estremoz

Igreja de Sao Francisco

Franciscan friars were installed in the Igreja de Sao Francisco when it was first opened in the 13th century. The chapel of Frederick of Portugal is a national monument and is situated alongside the Franciscan chapel. The tomb of the squire of Estremoz, Vasco Esteves Gatuz, is located inside the church and is the squire`s final resting place. The tomb is carved of Estremoz marble and was placed inside the church in 1363. Frederick of Portugal, Vasco Alvares Pereira, Antonio Henriques da Silveira, all important Portuguese historical figures, are buried on the church grounds. It is also believed that King Pedro I, who died in Estremoz in 1367, died in this church.

Rossio Marques de Pombal, 7100 Estremoz

Estremoz City Hall

The building we now know as the City Hall (also referred to as the Convento dos Congregados) was built in the 1500s as a manor house for Constantine of Braganca. The Duke of Cadaval confiscated the property in 1640 and gave it to the Portuguese crown. In 1698, King Pedro II demanded the building be reformatted into the design of a convent, as the king moved a religious order into the building. The azulejos seen inside the building were made in the early 1700s. After the dissolution of religious orders in Portugal, the building became Estremoz`s city hall and the museum of sacred art. A full restoration occurred between 1961-67.

Rossio Marques de Pombal, 7100-513 Estremoz

Pelourinho de Estremoz

Estremoz`s town pillory was built at the beginning of the 16th century, on the advice of King Manuel I. It was removed from the Pousada da Rainha Santa Isabel and placed in front of the town council hall around the turn of the 18th century. It was removed in the 1860s and then reconstructed in the middle of Praca Luis de Camoes in 1916, where it stands today.

Praca Luis de Camoes 25, 7100-453 Estremoz

Cafe Aguias d'Ouro

The Cafe Aguias D`Ouro (The Golden Eagles Cafe) is listed as a national Property of Public Interest, due to its architecture and its sociological importance. Built by Jorge Santos Costa in 1908-09, the three-story structure features large, decorative windows (some stained glass) and iron balconies in the Art Nouveau style. The cafe is the last survivor of Estremoz`s tertulia cafes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where townspeople would go to the cafe just to catch up on the latest town gossip.

Rossio Marques de Pombal 27-29, 7100 Estremoz

Rossio Marques de Pombal

The Rossio Marques de Pombal is one of Estremoz`s most important public squares. The highest real estate values in the city can be found in and around this area, as there are a number of high-grossing shops and other specialty retailers bordering the square. The buildings in this area are typically three stories, with the first floor usually occupied by retail or office space, and the upper two floors serving as residences for the shop owners or company presidents.

Marvao Castle

The Romans linked the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula with Caceres with a road that ran through the village of Marvao. As a result, a settlement formed; it was a sizable town by the time of the invasion of the Moors. The Moorish caliph ordered that a castle be built on the town`s highest hill in the 870s. Fortifications were strengthened when the castle fell into Portuguese hands at the turn of the 14th century; additions to the castle continued until the 19th century. The Spanish conquered the fortress on at least two occasions. The castle is open to the public and preserved by the Cultural Center of Marvao.

At the end of Rua do Castelo, 7330 Marvao

City Walls of Marvao

The city walls were built at the beginning of the 14th century to take full advantage of Marvao`s position at the top of a rocky encampment. The walls, King Dinis I reasoned, would add another layer of protection to the town. In the years leading up to 1300, Marvao had become a key settlement on the border between Portugal and Spain and it was in Portugal`s interest to maintain a strong front line. Fortifications to the walls were added all the way through the 19th century. The entirety of the city of Marvao is situated within the Medieval walls.

Rua do Terreiro 3, 7330-104 Marvao

Roman Villa of Ammaia

What was once the Roman villa of Ammaia occupies an excavation site half a mile long and a third of a mile wide in the municipality of Marvao. The villa was built in the first century and was recognized by Rome as a city in the year 45. The villa flourished as it was a stop on the main road leading to the provincial capital, now known as the Spanish city of Merida. A rebuilding occurred in the 4th century, but by the 9th century it was abandoned. By this time, the Moors focused their energies on building a castle in Marvao. The ruins decayed, ending in Ammaia`s Roman bridge crumbling in 1982. Excavation and preservation efforts began in 1994.

Estrada da Calcadinha 4, 7300-328 Marvao

Roman bridge over the Ribeira Grande

While the bridge over the Ribeira Grande is called a `Roman bridge`, it is a misnomer as aspects of its construction give it away as more advanced and therefore more recent. Originally spanning the Ribeira Grande and sporting twelve arches, the rising of water levels and accumulation of silt deposits have obscured five of these arches. The first reference to the bridge dates from 1321, and at that time the bridge would have linked the village of Monforte with a winery.

N369 motorway on the northern edge of Monforte, first right (dirt road) after second roundabout, proceed 1000 feet on dirt road

Roman Villa of Torre de Palma

One of the largest Roman villas to be discovered in Portugal, the villa of Torre de Palma was occupied by the Romans between the years of 100 and 400. The villa thrived as, like the villa of Ammaia, it was linked by road to the provincial capitals (now known as Lisbon, Santarem, and the Spanish city of Merida). Torre de Palma was uncovered by archaeologists in 1947. You will notice a large collection of Roman-era mosaic art, the most extensive of its kind in the country.

Turn left on dirt road and off the N369, 2.3-2.4 miles off the N369 motorway north of Monforte. Drive for 1.4 miles, past the Torre de Palma Wine Lodge, to your destination.

Alegrete Castle

The first references to Alegrete Castle date from the 13th century, and as early as that time, Alegrete (six miles from Portalegre) was considered a key fortification in the line of defense against the Kingdom of Castle (later the Kingdom of Spain). The bulk of the construction occurred later, through the 14th century. The castle played a key role in the Portuguese Restoration War, the War of the Oranges and the Peninsular Wars. Soldiers were pulled from the castle in 1855, and the castle later opened to the public (under the management of the municipal government since 1941).

Rua Direita da Villa, Alegrete

Mosteiro de Sao Bernardo

The Roman Catholic diocese started the convent, which welcomed local girls of marriageable age whose parents could not afford to give a dowry. The consecration of the convent was held in March 1572. The impressive set of azulejo tiles, some illustrating the life of St. Bernard, date from the mid-18th century. The nuns left the convent in 1878, and the building later housed Portalegre`s municipal museum. A National Guard school currently occupies part of the monastery grounds.

Avenida George Robinson, 7300-126 Portalegre

Portalegre Castle

The earliest references date from the middle of the 13th century and the reign of King Afonso III. His son, King Dinis I, added fortifications to the castle and walls around the city of Portalegre. The dark colors of the brick stood out starkly against the white marble and granite used to build the town`s houses. The castle was overtaken at least twice in battle, once during the War of Spanish Succession in the early 18th century. Current restoration efforts started in the mid-1990s, and include the installation of a permanent museum dedicated to Portuguese weaponry through the centuries.

Rua Luis Barahona 8, 7300 Portalegre

Portalegre Cathedral

King Joao III asked architect Afonso Alvares to build a cathedral in Portalegre, grander and larger than the humble church that was originally built at the site. Between 1556 and 1575, Alvares oversaw the construction of one of Portugal`s most elaborate Mannerist cathedrals. The cathedral was expanded in the late 18th century to better serve the citizens of Portalegre. The 28 windows inside the church feature design elements from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The church still functions as a major cathedral and is always open to the public. The building has been classified as a national monument since 1910.

Praca do Municipio, 7301-855 Portalegre

Praca de Touros de Sousel

Sousel is famous in Portugal for its bullring; according to local lore, it is the oldest ring in all of Portugal, with the first fights recorded in history books dating from 1642. The arena standing today supposedly dates from 1725, although this is in dispute and the structure may actually have been built in 1860. Even today, the bullring in Sousel hosts fights, with the biggest fight saved for Easter Sunday (honoring Our Lady of Carmo). Early spring is bullfighting season in Sousel, so this is the time of year you should consider if you want to see a match in person.

Praca da Republica, Sousel

Vila Vicosa Castle

The town of Vila Vicosa is situated twelve miles southeast of Estremoz. Vila Vicosa Castle sits at the top of the northeastern portion of the Serra da Ossa mountain range, flanked by the River Ficalho and the River Carrascal, two tributaries of the Guadiana. The castle was built in the late 13th century, although it is believed some sort of military fortification had been located on the site all the way back to Roman times. The town castle was attacked in 1664 during the Restoration War; the castle artillery held back the advancing Spanish troops and kept the town in Portuguese hands. The castle has been on the list of national monuments since 1910. There are two museums on the castle property as well, one relating to hunting and one relating to archaeology.

Rua Sacadura Cabral 2, Vila Vicosa

Mosteiro de Santo Agostinho

Across from the Paco Ducal, Augustinian monks were installed in the large two-story building that served as the town`s first (and for many centuries, the only) monastery. The monastery was founded in 1267; it also served as a church for residents and the Dukes of Braganca who lived in the palace across the way. Starting with the monastery`s 400th anniversary in 1667, it was officially declared the pantheon of the House of Braganca, and generation after generation has since been interred in tombs on the monastery grounds. The church portion of the monastery grounds is very spacious; in terms of square footage, it is considered one of the largest Catholic churches in Portugal. Since 1963 it has been administered by the Archdiocese of Evora.

Avenida Duques de Braganca and Jardim do Paco Ducal, Vila Vicosa