"Evora - UNESCO HERITAGE SITE" a Évora Travel Page by salinhopt

Evora is situated in Alentejo (south of Portugal). It is the chief city of the district and capital of Alto Alentejo Province.

The Alentejo Province is a region of wide plains to the south of the Tagus River (Rio Tejo). In the heart of this region, at a distance of 130 km from Lisbon, lies the city of Évora. Due to part of the town which being enclosed by ancient walls preserved in its original state and, to its monuments dating from various historical periods, Evora is included in UNESCO's World Heritage list. It was known by the Romans as Liberalitas Julia, and vestiges from this period (walls and rooms) and the monumental imperial temple (Diana's temple), still remain. During the barbarian invasions, Evora was under Visigoth rule. It occupied a space defined by a Roman enclosure that had been modified. In 715, the city was conquested by the Muslims.

The many monuments erected by the major artists of each period now testify to Évora's lively cultural, artistic and historical past. The variety of architectural styles (romanic, gothic, manueline, mannerist, baroque), the palaces and even the squares and narrow streets are all part of the rich heritage of this museum-city.

''Evora is the finest example of a city of the golden age of Portugal after the destruction of Lisbon by the earthquake of 1755'' Inscription criteria on the List of the UNESCO World Heritage (1985)