Tour Evora and Alentejo with private guide

Visit to a traditional cork factory where we will learn the whole process, from knowing the tree (cork oak), its extraction, the choice, preparation to the final product. Did you know that the bark of the Cork Oak grows every year and that every nine years it has to be removed from the tree, reaching 25 centimeters thick, the perfect material that is resistant to heat, cold and fire, after removing the cork The tree regenerates again, Portugal is responsible for 55% of the world production of cork, today highly valued, whether in decorative wall and floor coverings, or even in the manufacture of sporting goods, the ideal material for baseball grains or cable. fishing rods. However, in many countries cork is best known for being the raw material for wine corks as it allows micro-portions of oxygen to come into contact with wine, so that wine can “age” while maintaining its quality. As you see, our Tour Évora has a lot to learn…

The Historic Center of Évora is an intra-wall urban space, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986, located in the city of Évora. [1] [2] The city-museum of Évora has roots that go back to the time of the Roman Empire. The city still conserves, to a large extent in its central nucleus, traces of different civilizations and cultures: Celts, Romans, Arabs, Jews and Christians influenced the culture of Évora. It reached its golden age in the 15th century, when it became the residence of the kings of Portugal. The architectural and artistic quality of the white houses or decorated with tiles and wrought iron balconies, dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries, is unique. The city's monuments also had a profound influence on Portuguese architecture in Brazil. The Historic Center of Évora, formed by narrow streets and lanes, patios and wide, has an area of 107 hectares and is clearly demarcated by the medieval walls, with an extension of more than 3 km.

The Água de Prata Aqueduct, also known as Aqueduto da Água da Prata or Aqueduto da Prata, is a complex work of Renaissance hydraulic engineering with the aim of supplying the city of Évora with water. Inaugurated in 1537, it was built during the reign of King João III and designed and built by the royal architect Francisco de Arruda. The aqueduct transports water from springs located in Graça do Divor, within the grounds of the São Bento de Castris Convent, which "have their first beginning at Herdade das Figueiras de Lobo", to the city of Évora, covering about 18 km.

This sinister chapel with its walls and pillars lined with human bones and skulls is estimated to be more than 5,000 monks. Do not be alarmed when at the entrance read; "In the bones we are waiting for here," because it only leads us to reflect on life.

The Church of São Francisco in Évora is a church of Gothic-Manueline architecture. Built between 1480 and 1510 by the stone masters Martim Lourenço and Pero de Trilho and decorated by the royal painters Francisco Henriques, Jorge Afonso and Garcia Fernandes, it is closely linked to the historical events that marked the period of maritime expansion in Portugal. This is evident in the symbols of the monumental nave with its ogival vault: the cross of the Order of Christ and the emblems of the founding kings, D. João II and D. Manuel I.

In Évora, all roads lead to Praça do Giraldo. It has always been this way since its construction in 1571/1573. Praça do Giraldo is an icon of homage to Geraldo Geraldes, Sem Pavor, as he conquered Évora from the Moors in 1167. In thanks for this enormous feat, D. Afonso Henriques named him mayor of the city and frontier of the Alentejo, region that would help conquer.

The Church of Graça or Convent of Nossa Senhora da Graça, is an important Renaissance religious monument in the city of Évora, located in Largo da Graça, in the parish of Sé and São Pedro. This monastery, owned by the hermit monks of Saint Augustine, was founded in 1511, having been designed by the architect of the Casa Real Miguel de Arruda. The building is a beautiful example of the purest Renaissance style, with the famous Atlantean figures whom the people of Évora have called for centuries, the "Meninos da Graça" in the façade's acroterias.

Another monument of great value is the Temple of Diana or Temple of Évora, which justifies the importance that the Romans gave to this beautiful city, next to the Cathedral, built in the Roman period, from here we can see the magnificent aqueduct of the "Water of the Silver" , outside the city walls and extending from the outskirts of the city, some of its arches are still visible inside the city, built in the 16th century to ensure water transportation.

But let's go to the cathedral. To get there, you only have to go up Rua 5 de Outubro, one of the best to buy Alentejo handicrafts. The Cathedral of Évora, whose construction started in 1186 and consecrated in 1204, was completed only in 1250. It is a fascinating and imposing monument. All in granite, it is marked by the transition from the Romanesque style to the Gothic style. Two towers from the medieval period can be seen on each side of the façade of the Cathedral of Évora. The tower on the south side is the bell tower, the one whose bells ring in city time. On each side of its portal there are spectacular sculptures of 14th century Apostles, by Mestre Pêro. Outside the Évora Cathedral, however, the dome is the most spectacular architectural element. The lantern tower of the cruise of the ships, from the reign of D. Dinis, crowned by a stone scales needle is in fact the ex-libris of this monument.

Diana's Garden in Évora is located right in the heart of the city's cultural center. Extending from a square called Largo do Conde de Villa Flor, and in perfect harmony with the Roman Temple, Diana's Garden is the ideal place to end, or begin, a sightseeing tour of this beautiful city of Évora.