Évora

We have been staying in Évora for the last few days and will continue to be here until Saturday.  Although we have been going for evening walks, we had not explored the town until Wednesday.  Évora is one of Portugal's most beautifully preserved medieval towns with multiple churches, Roman ruins, and good restaurants.  

We started our morning by walking to the Palácio Cadaval and Igreja de São João which are next to each other.  The Palácio Cadaval has a 17th-century facade; however, the palace and castle that surround it are much older.  The Igreja de São João was built in 1485 to serve as a pantheon by Rodrigo Afonso de Melo. 

Nearby is the Cathedral of Évora, one of the oldest monuments in the city.  It sits on the highest spot in Évora and is part of the historical city center.  We were able to climb the stairs to the towers as well as see the cloisters.  

One of the most interesting (and disturbing!!) places we saw was the Capela dos Ossos.  The walls and columns of the Capela dos Ossos are lined with the bones and skulls of over 5000 people!  This was done in the 17th-century by Franciscan monks due to the overflowing graveyards of churches and monasteries.  An inscription over the entrance translates to ‘We bones that are here await yours’. 

The church connected to the Capela dos Ossos is The Igreja de São Francisc and was completed in 1510.  The church has been dedicated to St. Francis. 

We also walked to the Jardim Público, which is a small public garden and also the location of the 15th-century Palácio de Dom Manuel. 

A 20-minute drive from Évora is the Almendres Cromlech, a monument comprised of 95 standing stones which form two large stone circles.  It is thought the stones were once part of a ceremonial site dedicated to a celestial religion.  The monument was constructed over a long period of time with the first stones placed in 6,000BC and was in continual use until 3,000BC.  The Almendres Cromlech was created 2,000 years before Stonehenge and among humanity's oldest known monuments!  

Cork Trees!

We ended our day with dinner at Cartuxa, a restaurant and wine bar in the city center.