Castelo de Vide
Leaving Belmonte, I traveled to Evora, in Portugal's second most decorated wine region. On the way, I stopped at the town of Castelo de Vide, and visited the beautifully preserved ruins of its medieval castle, pictured here.
The castle, surrounded by the town's white houses, dominates the surrounding landscape. When seen from this high point, the Alentejo landscape is revealed in all of its splendour, including small villages placed in the midst of the open countryside.
Portuguese houses, particularly in the south, are generally painted white, this colour reflecting light and leading to cooler houses in the hot summer. Throughout Portugal, roof tiles are typically red or ochre in colour. This practice dates to Roman times, and is related to the colour of the local clay from which these tiles are constructed.
Note: As one travels through Portugal, particularly in the east, it is common to see the ruins of castles in many towns, even ones close to one another. This speaks to the history of Portugal, dating to the 12th century, where assaults on towns from Spain and North Africa were very common, and required walled towns and strong defence structures.
Castelo de Vide
Leaving Belmonte, I traveled to Evora, in Portugal's second most decorated wine region. On the way, I stopped at the town of Castelo de Vide, and visited the beautifully preserved ruins of its medieval castle, pictured here.
The castle, surrounded by the town's white houses, dominates the surrounding landscape. When seen from this high point, the Alentejo landscape is revealed in all of its splendour, including small villages placed in the midst of the open countryside.
Portuguese houses, particularly in the south, are generally painted white, this colour reflecting light and leading to cooler houses in the hot summer. Throughout Portugal, roof tiles are typically red or ochre in colour. This practice dates to Roman times, and is related to the colour of the local clay from which these tiles are constructed.
Note: As one travels through Portugal, particularly in the east, it is common to see the ruins of castles in many towns, even ones close to one another. This speaks to the history of Portugal, dating to the 12th century, where assaults on towns from Spain and North Africa were very common, and required walled towns and strong defence structures.