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1. Roman Temple of Diana. Évora’s most iconic landmark is one of the best-preserved Roman monuments in the Iberian Peninsula. Built 2000 years ago, it was traditionally believed to have been dedicated to Diana, the goddess of hunting, but scholars now say it was actually dedicated to emperor Augustus. Although it has lost its roof, the ...
- Take a walking tour of Evora. Walking tours are a great way to experience the history and culture of new cities! While the free walking tour options were much more limited compared to what you’d find in a larger city, I was lucky enough to find a free walking tour of Evora with GuruWalk.
- Chapel Of Bones. When in Evora, you can’t miss the eerie yet captivating Chapel of Bones (Capela dos Ossos). Really, stick this at the top of your travel itinerary now!
- Giraldo Square. Take a stroll through the heart of Evora and visit the historic Giraldo Square. Finding this square won’t be hard at all — even if you were to stroll around town aimlessly, you’d end up in this square one way or another!
- Soak in Roman baths at In Acqua Veritas. In Acqua Veritas is a spa that not only features massages… but also offers Roman-style baths of cold, hot, and temperate water, complete with water jets and waterfalls!
Perfect for a self-guided tour, enriched by nearby parks, gardens, and evening illumination. See ways to experience (128) 2024. 3. Fitapreta Vinhos. 122. Wineries & Vineyards. Historic winery set in scenic vineyards, providing guided tours, aged wine tastings, and local cheese pairings.
- Évora Roman Temple
- Évora Cathedral
- Museu de Évora
- Évora University
- Historic Centre
- Noble Houses
- Praça Do Giraldo
- Capela Dos Ossos
- Church of São Francisco
- Agua de Prata Aqueduct
At the highest point of the city where Évora’s ancient forum once stood is what could be Portugal’s greatest Roman monument. This Corinthian temple was built in the 1st century and would likely have been devoted to Diana. Up close you’ll notice the difference in materials; the fluted columns are made from granite while the bases and capitals are ma...
Also at the top of the town is Évora’s commanding pink granite cathedral, unmistakable for its sturdy towers with conical spires. This building was completed in phases from the beginning of the 13th century, so has a jumble of architecture, with a cavernous Gothic nave, Manueline choir with dainty vaulting and Baroque chapels. The monument has been...
The city’s museum is set up in the old episcopal palace, which dates to the 1500s and has gathered some 20,000 items relating to Évora’s history. On show there’s painting, sculpture, jewellery, furniture, textiles, goldwork and ceramics. If there’s an obligatory exhibit it has to be the polyptych of 19 panels that used to be in the cathedral’s alta...
Portugal’s second-oldest university is in Évora, and was founded in the 1500s by both Pope Paul IV and the future King Henry I, who was a cardinal at the time. For its first 200 years it was a Jesuit college, before this order was expelled from Portugal in the 1750s. There’s a lot to get through here, but you have to survey the elegant arcades and ...
Évora’s World Heritage Site contains the entirety of the old town within the city walls, sloping up to the Cathedral and Roman Temple. If your idea of the perfect afternoon is aimless exploration and finding perfect photo opportunities at random, old Évora will be up your street. The houses on maze-like streets and elongated squares are whitewashed...
Along with Portuguese kings, the court moved to Évora in the 1400s and 1500s, endowing the city with lots of distinguished houses to spot as you potter around. See the Paço dos Duques de Cadaval, which has towers that are part of the city walls and interiors that you can enter, decorated with period furniture and paintings. The Paço dos Condes de B...
Évora’s main square was laid out in the 16th century, and at this time it was the scene of the Spanish Inquisition court, which handed out thousands of brutal sentences here. On a lighter note it also boasts the marble Fonte Henrique, at the same location as an earlier, 16th-century fountain built to commemorate the Agua Prata aqueduct. There are e...
This chapel attached to the Church of São Francisco isn’t one for the squeamish. It’s an ossuary, with walls, arches and supporting pillars lined with bones and skulls in cheerful arrangements. These are the remains of several thousand monks, recovered from several crypts and cemeteries in the 16th century. The idea behind this Franciscan chapel, b...
The church that hosts the Capela dos Ossos also needs to be seen, not least as it was a place of worship for royalty. This is made clear at the portal, which is was sculpted in the Manueline style in the first decades of the 1500s. Amid the decoration is an armillary sphere, which was the emblem of King Manuel I, and a pelican, signifying King John...
One of the most striking sights around Évora is this 16th-century aqueduct, channelling water to the city for almost 20 kilometres. The theory goes that this Renaissance structure follows the same course as the original Roman aqueduct and incorporates some of its stonework. In Évora’s residential areas, houses have been built wedged into the arches...
Nov 21, 2023 · The Best Things to Do in Évora, Portugal Step inside Évora’s Chapel of Bones. Without a doubt, the most famous of all of the attractions in Évora is the city’s Chapel of Bones (Capela dos Ossos). Constructed in the 17th century at the behest of Franciscan friars, the chapel served a dual purpose.
Évora was the 2nd city in Portugal to have a university, in 1559, after Coimbra. See ways to experience (8) 2024. 11. Casa do Montado. 61. Art Museums. Interactive exhibition nestled in a charming old structure, showcasing the Montado ecosystem and cork industry with educational displays and children's activities. 12.
Dec 27, 2023 · Surrounded by Evora's top attractions, Pousada Convento de Evora is a historic convent restored into an elegant hotel with its own courtyard pool and an excellent restaurant. Smart, art-filled, and ultra-modern M'Ar De Ar Aqueduto is in a quiet neighborhood inside the walls; its pool sits in a landscaped patio with views of the nearby aqueduct.
