The arid, sunny plains of southern Portugal, a traditional region called the Alentejo, are dotted with orchards, Stone Age monoliths, Roman aqueducts, medieval Christian castles and Moorish-looking whitewashed villages, including the town of Evora.
History is soaked into the stones here. The town’s main square sports a Roman temple, with 14 distinct Corinthian columns still standing, dating from the first century A.D. In the 14th century, the area was a war zone as Christian religious-military orders, such as the Knights Templar, battled Muslims for control of the country. After defeating the Muslims, Portugal enjoyed a boom time, its seafaring age of discovery (roughly 1400-1600). Famous explorers – including Henry the Navigator and Vasco da Gama (who lived in Evora after discovering the water route to India) – sailed beyond Europe’s known borders.
| If you’re dining in Evora, the cork from your bottle of wine is probably more local than the wine itself. The Alentejo region supplies more than half of the world’s supply of cork. It’s gathered from the bark of the cork oak, a 30-foot tree that grows well in the region’s dry heat and sandy soil. After 25 years, a tree is mature enough for harvest, and the bark is stripped from the trunk. It’s then boiled to soften it up, and flattened. Machines cut the cork into the desired shape, or punch out bottle stoppers. These are then polished, producing wonderful tasteless, odorless seals for wine bottles. |
In this golden age, Portuguese kings favored Evora, especially King John III, who lived here for 30 years. But despite its royal past, Evora, with a population of just 50,000, and the Alentejo remain an unpretentious land of farmers. Today, the region is known for being extraordinarily provincial, even considered backward by snooty urbanites from Lisbon, two hours away by car or bus.
But Evora’s residents have pride in their ancient history, taking steps to preserve their town. Since becoming a World Heritage City in 1986, Evora has strictly protected its old center, allowing no buildings over two stories tall. The charming colors you see around town are common in Alentejo: Yellow trim supposedly kept away evil spirits, and blue actually does keep away flies. Monster garbage cans hide under elegant smaller ones; at night, trucks lift entire hunks of sidewalk to empty them.
Evora is especially charming in spring. Jacaranda trees, imported from Brazil two hundred years ago, burst with purple blossoms every spring and offer welcome shade in summer. Students spilling out of the Evora’s 500-year-old university give the town a youthful air.
One of Evora’s main sights, the Church of St. Francis, is tinged with irony. The church originally had a pure style, as simple as St. Francis would want. But in the 18th century, it became popular for wealthy families to buy fancy chapels, resulting in an expensive hodgepodge. The church’s huge Baroque chapel is lavishly sumptuous, with St. Francis and St. Clare, his partner in Christ-like simplicity, surrounded by anything but poverty. Instead, it’s slathered in gold leaf from Brazil.
Even back in the 1600s, Evora’s monks were worried about the problems associated with wealth. They created the Chapel of Bones (within the Church of St. Francis), decorated with the bones and 5,000 skulls. Here, worshippers could get a heads-up warning on the transience of riches and life. Gulp.
Hang around Evora in the evening when the sun goes down and the families come out. You might see an open-air concert at the Roman temple, with its evocative columns providing a striking, timeless backdrop. The temple is beautifully floodlit at night. It’s a wonderful time to stroll, enjoying the town’s historic, powerful charm.
Rick Steves of Edmonds (425-771-8303, www.ricksteves.com) is the author of 29 European travel guidebooks including “Europe Through the Back Door” (published by Avalon) and is the host of the public television series “Rick Steves’ Europe.” This week’s schedule on KCTS:
Monday, 5 p.m.: Rome
Tuesday, 5 p.m.: Eastern Turkey
Wednesday, 5 p.m.: Royal London
Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.: The French Riviera
Thursday, 5 p.m.: Slovenia and Croatia
Friday, 5 p.m.: Sicily
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