Evora is the capital of Arentho, and its historical center was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. The city is crowded with narrow cobblestone streets, historic churches, hand-painted azulejos (ceramic) tiles and a beautiful blend of Moorish and Romanesque architecture.
The best way to visit Evra is to walk, and you can reach three must-see attractions within walking distance: Bones Chapel, Diana Temple in Rome and Evra Cathedral. Let's travel through history and discover the charm of Evora.
Immortal city
The history of Evora can be traced back to 5,000 years ago. Before 57 BC, it was called Ebra, which was named by the Celts (the Celtic tribe of Iberian Peninsula). They took it as their regional capital. The name may come from the Latin aurum, either referring to the golden alentejo plain or because of gold mining in Portugal. There is also a saying that "Ebola" means "yew tree" in Celtic. Claudius Ptolemy's Geography (A.D. 100- 170) and Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23-79) both mentioned Ebola, but little was known about the early Ebola virus.
Roman commander quintus Setorius (about 123-72 BC) made Evra his headquarters in 80-72 BC.
Evora was later settled by the Romans in 57 BC, and was originally called Ebola Grain, because the fertile Arentho Plain was an important source of wheat, which was an important crop of the Roman Empire.
The Romans built defensive walls called Cerca Romana, and the Roman parts of these walls were well preserved. Evora was so important to the empire that Julius Caesar (BC 100-44) promoted it to an autonomous city, and in the early days of Roman peace (BC 27- 180).
Under the rule of Rome, Evra became a prosperous trade center and an important military outpost. At that time, the commander-in-chief of the Roman army, Quintus Setorius (about 123-72 BC), took this city as his headquarters in 80-72 BC.
With the decline of the Roman Empire, Visigoths existed for a period in the 6th century, when King Leo Virgil (about 5 12-586) ruled Evora. In 7 15 AD, the Moorish army led by Abd al-Al-Alaziz ibn Musa (who died in 7 17 AD) occupied the city and coimbra. Until AD 1 165, Evras was under the rule of Moors and was called Jabra. The influence of Moore's architecture can now be seen in the mustard-colored houses, arched alleys and tile terraces of the city.
The moors were subsequently expelled from Arentho by the Portuguese Christian knight Gladow Sen pawar (who died in 1 173), and Evora was expelled by Affonso Henricks I (1 1000). Plaka do Ghiraldo, the central square of Evora Market in Moore's time, was named after the fearless Gerald.
In the next 400 years or so, Evora was the Afengxin Dynasty (A.D.1kloc-0/39-1383) and the Aves Dynasty (A.D. 1383- 1580). Evras has become a cultural center and a gathering place for scholars, writers and artists. Evora University was founded in A.D. 1559.
The Portuguese version of the Spanish Inquisition arrived in A.D. 1536, when a court was set up to try heresy. You can still see the building opposite the city museum that used to be the Inquisition. It shows a cross with a sword and an olive branch-the symbol of the Spanish Inquisition.
These historical levels have created this city with many fascinating stories.
Bone church
The first story is about more than 5,000 human bones and skulls in Capela dos Ossos bone bank in cappella, belonging to Igrayad S? San Francisco Church. You don't expect to find human remains stacked from floor to ceiling on church walls or rows of columns, but this is exactly what tourists see in this somewhat creepy historical site.
The human bone chapel was built by Franciscan monks in the late16th century, when the city was facing the dilemma of crowded cemeteries. As a creative solution to the problem of overcrowding, bones were dug out and relocated to the church, which also provided a souvenir of death or a reminder of the inevitability of death.
Bone urns or human bone churches are very common in history, usually due to plague or war atrocities, which require thousands of dead people to be placed in collective graves. There is a bone church with a gold skeleton in Hullo, Algavi, and the catacombs in Paris are the last resting place of 6 million former residents.
Evora's bone hall is very small, and its design draws lessons from the Tibetan bone hall in San Bernardino Osa, Milan, Italy. You feel like you are in a cave, submerged by thousands of carefully arranged bones and skulls. The remains of Franciscan monks were placed in a small white grave on the right side of the main altar.
Evra is a materialistic rich city, and Franciscans want to provide a space for thinking about human existence. The inscription on the church door is sure to upset any visitor:
We have no water, we have no water.
[We, the bones here, are waiting for you]
There is also a poem in a wooden frame and hung on a pillar of the church. Part of the content is as follows:
Where are you going for such a hasty traveler?
Stop ... don't continue;
you don't have
Care more than this: the focus of your attention.
The tour guide will also point out two mummies hanging by chains on the wall next to the cross. One belongs to an adult man, and the other is a child, possibly his son. Legend has it that his son abused his mother, so she cursed them to hang there forever.
Before going out to visit more historical sites, there are still beautiful murals on the arched ceiling of the church, which can be traced back to AD 18 10, with symbols explaining biblical passages.
Temple of Diana
Templo Romano Evora, the oldest historical site in Evora, tells the story of Rome ruling the city. It's only a 0/0 minute walk from Bones Church. Bones Church is located in Largo Conde Villaflor Square on a hill, which is one of the highest points of Evora.
Visitors are free to walk around the temple of Corinth at any time of day or night. It is highly recommended to visit at night, because the temple is illuminated by floodlights, which is very impressive, if not a bit weird.
This south-facing temple was built in the 1 th century and is believed to be dedicated to Diana, the Roman goddess of hunting, although there is no archaeological evidence to support it. Most likely dedicated to Augustus Caesar (reigned from 27 BC to AD 14).
Only 14 of the original 32 groove columns are left. These columns are in peripteros layout (rectangular plane with colonnades on all sides) and stand on a granite pedestal 3.5 meters (1 1.4 feet) high. In the north of the temple, you can still see six granite pillars 7.68m (25. 1 ft) high. The columns, lintels and pedestals are made of local granite, and the columns are located on the marble pedestal in nearby Estremoz.
When German marauders invaded the city in the 5th century A.D., the temple was severely damaged. In 1 1 century, the Evora Castle was built around the temple (now demolished), and its base, columns and lintels were all incorporated into the tower of the castle, which was later converted into a slaughterhouse. The restoration of the temple began at 1836. The temple that tourists see today is the result of conservation theory at that time, especially the theory of British art critic john ruskin (18 19- 1900).
Evula Cathedral
Our last stop was the Cathedral of the Acropolis in Evora, the highest point in the city, just a few steps away from the Temple of Diana-the two buildings stood almost side by side. It is the largest medieval cathedral in Portugal, designed in the shape of a Latin cross. It is believed that this cathedral was deliberately built by the Crusaders in the 2nd century A.D./KLOC-0 on the site of a former temple, as a symbolic act.
Evras Cathedral was built in Roman Gothic style.
This cathedral is also called Notre Dame? Vora, but its correct name is basilicase de Nossa Senhorada assuncao.
It was built in 12 to 13 centuries, and has a beautiful rose granite facade, giving the cathedral a unique pink tone. Construction of the cathedral began in 1 186 and was completed in 1250.
Although the cathedral is a Roman Gothic building, many years of renovation and restoration have produced various architectural styles. It was restored to Gothic style (about AD 1400), and you can still see two large rose windows, which bring light into the cathedral. It is said that in A.D. 1497, the Portuguese explorer vasco de Gama prepared flags for his fleet in the cathedral.
An interesting feature of the building is two asymmetrical towers, which were built between 1200 and16th century. There is a spiral staircase in the bell tower of the south tower, and the bell rings throughout the city; The North Tower has a blue tile cone-shaped spire in Manuel style (late Portuguese Gothic period, 65438+early 6th century).
There are three entrances to the cathedral: the south gate (Porta do Sol) features Gothic arches, the north gate was rebuilt in the Baroque period (about 1600- 1750), and the main entrance between the two towers has six arches, which support the sculptures of the twelve apostles, thanks to Perot and Tyro de Garcia (1).
The interior of the church is further integrated with various artistic styles. The central altar was built in the18th century and is made of pink, black and white marble. There is an unusual15th century CE sculpture depicting the pregnant Virgin Mary. The tubular organ comes from the late16th century. The choir came from Manuel's time.
Visitors will surely see that Evora Cathedral is an architectural model spanning different historical periods and architectural styles, but it still retains the overall Gothic appearance.
Before leaving the cathedral, climb the roof terrace and enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of Evras.
How to get there?
You can take a one-day tour of Evora from Lisbon, Portugal, because it only takes about 1.5 hours (80 miles or 130 kilometers) to drive, or you can take a train from Oriente Station in Lisbon to Evora Station, or take an intercity bus from Setrios in Lisbon.
But it's best to spend some time exploring many historical sites in Evora and take a walk in Jardim Public Park, where you can see peacocks showing off their feathers. Since the public garden is not far from the central market, you might as well go in and buy some pasteis de toucinho, a sweet pie made of bacon, eggs, almonds, sugar and cinnamon. After that, you should have enough energy to see Evra's skull, temples and churches.
refer to
Alarcaon, doctor of law in Rome, Portugal, Volume II and Lagos. University of Liverpool Press, 1988.
Birmingham, D. A brief history of Portugal. Cambridge University Press, 20 18.
A concise dictionary of world geographical names. Oxford University Press, 2005.
Guerrero, what's your name? Vora-–Art and History. Said? Wola. , 1975
? Vora Historical Center was visited on February, 2020 14.
Rick Steves: Explore the historic Evora (? Vora), from Roman ruins to skeleton church, visited on February 13, 2020.