Évora city / Cidade de Évora

English and Portuguese

 

English

Évora is located in the Alentejo province, a region of wide plains to the south of the Tagus River (Rio Tejo in Portuguese). The distance from the capital, Lisbon, is some 130 km.

History

Évora has a history dating back more than two millennia. It may have been the kingdom of Astolpas., and may be named after ivory workers. It was known as Ebora by the Lusitanians, who made the town their regional capital. The Romans conquered the town in 57 BC and expanded it into a walled town. Vestiges from this period (city walls and ruins of Roman baths) still remain. The Romans had extensive gold mining in Portugal, and the name may be derived from that oro, aurum, gold). Julius Caesar called it "Liberalitas Julia" (Julian generosity). The city grew in importance because it lay at the junction of several important routes. During his travels through Gaul and Lusitania, Pliny the Elder also visited this town and mentioned it in his book Naturalis Historia as Ebora Cerealis, because of its many surrounding wheat fields. In those days Évora became a flourishing city. Its high rank among municipalities in Roman Hispania is clearly shown by many inscriptions and coins. The monumental Corinthian temple in the centre of the town dates from the 1st century and was probably erected in honour of emperor Augustus. In the fourth century, the town had already a bishop, named Quintianus.

During the barbarian invasions, Évora came under the rule of the Visigothic king Leovirgild in 584. The town was later raised to the status of a cathedral city. Nevertheless this was a time of decline and very few artefacts from this period remain.

In 715, the city was conquered by the Moors under Tariq ibn-Ziyad, who called it Yeborah. During their rule (715–1165), the town slowly began to prosper again and developed into an agricultural centre with a fortress and a mosque. The present character of the city is evidence of the Moorish influence.

Évora was wrested from the Moors through a surprise attack by Gerald the Fearless (Geraldo Sem Pavor) in September 1165. The town came under the rule of the Portuguese king Afonso I in 1166. It then flourished as one of the most dynamic cities in the Kingdom of Portugal during the Middle Ages, especially in the 15th century. The court of the first and second dynasties resided here for long periods, constructing palaces, monuments and religious buildings. Évora became the scene for many royal weddings and a site where many important decisions were made.

Particularly thriving during the Avis Dynasty (1385–1580), especially under the reign of Manuel I and John III, Évora became a major centre for the humanities (André de Resende - buried in the cathedral) and artists, such as the sculptor Nicolau Chanterene, the painters Cristóvão de Figueiredo and Gregório Lopes, the composers Manuel Cardoso and Duarte Lobo, the chronicler Duarte Galvão, and the father of Portuguese drama, Gil Vicente.

The city became the seat of an archbishopric in 1540. The university was founded by the Jesuits in 1559, and it was here that great European Masters such as the Flemish humanists Nicolaus Clenardus (Nicolaas Cleynaerts) (1493–1542), Johannes Vasaeus (Jan Was) (1511–1561) and the theologian Luis de Molina passed on their knowledge. In the 18th century the Jesuits, who had spread intellectual and religious enlightenment since the 16th century, were expelled from Portugal, the university was closed in 1759 by the Marquis of Pombal and Évora went into decline. The university was only reopened in 1973.

In 1834, Évora was the site of the surrender of the forces of King Miguel I, which marked the end of the Liberal Wars.

The many monuments erected by major artists of each period now testify to Évora's lively cultural and rich artistic and historical heritage. The variety of architectural styles (Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, Renaissance, Baroque), the palaces and the picturesque labyrinth of squares and narrow streets of the city centre are all part of the rich heritage of this museum-city.

Today, the historical centre has about 4000 buildings and an area of 1.05 km².

Main sights

Água de Prata Aqueduct (Aqueduct of Silver Water): With its huge arches stretching for 9 km, this aqueduct was built in 1531–1537 by King João III to supply the city with water. Designed by the military architect Francisco de Arruda (who had previously built the Belém Tower), the aqueduct ended originally in the Praça do Giraldo. This impressive construction has even been mentioned in the epic poem Os Lusíadas by Luís de Camões. The end part of the aqueduct is remarkable with houses, shops and cafés built between the arches.

Cathedral of Évora: Mainly built between 1280 and 1340, it is one of the most important gothic monuments of Portugal. The cathedral has a notable main portal with statues of the Apostles (around 1335) and a beautiful nave and cloister. One transept chapel is Manueline and the outstanding main chapel is Baroque. The pipeorgan and choir stalls are renaissance (around 1566).

S. Brás Chapel: Built around 1480, it is a good example of Mudéjar-Gothic with cylindrical buttresses. Only open for prayer.

Saint Francis Church (Igreja de São Francisco): Built between the end of the 15th and the early 16th centuries in mixed Gothic-Manueline styles. The wide nave is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture. Contains many chapels decorated in Baroque style, including the Chapel of Bones (Capela dos Ossos), totally covered with human bones.

Palace of Vasco da Gama: Vasco da Gama resided here in 1519 and 1524, the dates corresponding to his nomination as the Count of Vidigueira and Viceroy of India. The Manueline cloister and some of its Renaissance mural paintings are still preserved.

Palace of the Counts of Basto: Primitive Moorish castle and residence of the kings of the Afonsine dynasty. Its outer architecture displays features of Gothic, Manueline, Mudéjar and Renaissance styles.

Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval: The palace with its 17th-century façade is constituted in part by an old castle burnt in 1384; it is dominated by the architectural elements of the Manueline-Moorish period and by a tower called Tower of the Five Shields. This palace of the governor of Évora served from time to time as royal residence. The first-floor rooms houses a collection manuscripts, family portraits and religious art from the 16th century.

Lóios Convent and Church: Built in the 15th century, contains a number of tombs; the church and the cloister are Gothic in style, with a Manueline chapterhouse with a magnificent portal. The church interior is covered in azulejos (ceramic tiles) from the 18th century. In 1965 it has been converted into a top-end pousada

Ladies' Gallery of Manuel I's Palace (Galeria das Damas do Palácio de D. Manuel): Remnants of a palace built by King Manuel I in Gothic-Renaissance style. According to some chroniclers, it was in this palace, in 1497, that Vasco da Gama was given the command of the squadron he would lead on his maritime journey to India.

Roman Temple of Évora: Improperly called Diana Temple, this 1st century-temple was probably dedicated to the Cult of Emperor Augustus (but some texts date it to the second or even the third century). It is one of a kind in Portugal. The temple was incorporated into a mediaeval building and thus survived destruction. It has become the city's most famous landmark. The temple in Corinthian style has six columns in front (Roman hexastyle) with in total fourteen granite columns remaining. The base of the temple, the capitals and the architraves are made of marble from nearby Estremoz. The intact columns are 7.68 m (25.20 ft) high. It can be compared to the Maison Carrée in Nîmes, France.

University of Évora: Formerly a Jesuit college built by Cardinal-King Henrique in 1559, it includes the 16th century Mannerist church and the academic buildings surrounding the large 17th-18th century cloister.

Renaissance fountain at Largo das Portas de Moura: Built in 1556 in Renaissance style. This original fountain has the shape of a globe surrounded by water, a reference to the Age of Discovery.

Giraldo Square (Praça do Geraldo): Centre of the city; in this square King Duarte built the Estaus Palace which even today maintains its Gothic look. The Renaissance fountain (fonte Henriquina) dates from 1570. Its eight jets symbolize the eight streets leading into the square. At the northern end of the quare lies St Anton's church (Igreja de Santo Antão) built by Manuel Pires, also from the 16th century. This is a rather plump church with three aisles. The antependium of the altar displays a valuable 13th century Roman-Gothic bas relief. In 1483 Fernando II , Duke of Braganza was decapitated on this square, in the presence of his brother-in-law king John II. This square also witnessed thousands of Autos-de-fé during the period of the Inquisition; 22.000 condemnations, it seems, in about 200 years.[6]

Cromeleque dos Almendres, 15 km from Évora: Megalithic monument, a cromlech with archaeoastronomical interest.

Anta Grande do Zambujeiro, about 10 km from Évora near Valverde: It is the larger dolmen in the region.

 

Português

 

Évora é uma cidade portuguesa, capital do Distrito de Évora, e situada na região Alentejo e subregião do Alentejo Central, com uma população de cerca de 41 159 habitantes.

É sede de um dos maiores municípios de Portugal, com 1307,04 km² de área e 54.780 habitantes (2008), subdividido em 19 freguesias. O município é limitado a norte pelo município de Arraiolos, a nordeste por Estremoz, a leste pelo Redondo, a sueste por Reguengos de Monsaraz, a sul por Portel, a sudoeste por Viana do Alentejo e a oeste por Montemor-o-Novo. É sede de distrito e de antiga diocese, sendo metrópole eclesiástica (Arquidiocese de Évora).

É conhecida como a Capital do Alentejo e Cidade-Museu.

História

O nome Lusitano da cidade de Évora era Eburobrittium, provavelmente relacionado com a divindade celta Eburianus. A raiz etimológica viria do Celta *eburos, a árvore do Teixo. A cidade teve o nome de Ebora Cerealis durante a República Romana, tomando o nome de Liberalitas Julia no tempo do general Júlio César, sendo então já uma cidade importante, como o demonstram as ruínas de um templo clássico e os vestígios de muralhas romanas.

Conquistada aos Mouros em 1165 por Geraldo Sem Pavor, data em que se restaurou a sua diocese. Foi residência régia durante largos períodos, essencialmente nos reindados de D.João II, D.Manuel I e D.João III. O seu prestígio foi particularmente notável no século XVI, quando foi elevada a metrópole eclesiástica e foi fundada a Universidade de Évora (afecta à Companhia de Jesus), pelo Cardeal Infante D.Henrique, primeiro Arcebispo da cidade. Um rude golpe para Évora foi a extinção da prestigiada instituição universitária, em 1759 (que só seria restaurada cerca de dois séculos depois), na sequência da expulsão dos Jesuítas do país, por ordem do Marquês de Pombal. Évora é testemunho de diversos estilos e corentes estéticas, sendo ao longo do tempo dotada de obras de arte a ponto de ser classificada pela UNESCO, em 1986, como Património Comum da Humanidade.

Monumentos principais da cidade

Templo romano de Évora: também chamado Templo de Diana, é um dos monumentos romanos mais importantes de Portugal. Situa-se no ponto mais alto da cidade e é um dos lugares mais visitados da cidade. Pensa-se que foi criado por volta do século III a.C. para homenagear o Imperador Romano César Augusto, mas mais tarde passou a ser conhecido por Templo de Diana (deusa da caça), nome atribuído por um jesuíta no século XVI pelo facto da cidade ser conhecida pela boa caça.

Sé Catedral

Igreja de São Francisco: um dos últimos e imponentes edifício da Dinastia e Avis conhecida pela mistura entre os estilos gótico e manuelino.

Capela dos Ossos: situada na Igreja de São Francisco, é conhecida pela famosa frase escrita à entrada "Nós ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos"

Palácio de D. Manuel

Convento dos Lóios: actualmente a funcionar como pousada.

 

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