Strategically positioned on a low plateau of the Serra de São Mamede amid fertile
country, Portalegre is of Roman origin. Fortified by King Dinis, it acquired
city status in 1550.

Textile, tapestry and silk industries brought prosperity in the 16th and 17th
centuries, reflected in the Renaissance and Baroque mansions found along Rua 19
de Junho, the main street of the old town. Near the new town’s central square,
the Rossio, a former Jesuit monastery is now the only tapestry factory still in
use. Cork production is also a tradition here, and the tall chimneys of cork
factories on the edge of the city indicate a continuing industry.

Uphill lies the cathedral or Sé . Built in 1556, it acquired its
Baroque façade and twin pinnacles in the 18th century. The late Renaissance
interior has paintings by anonymous Portuguese artists and a sacristy lined with
striking azulejo  panels. These blue and white tile pictures,
dating from the first years of the 17th century, depict scenes from the life of
the Virgin Mary and the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt.

In an adjacent 18th-century mansion is the small Museu
Municipal , where the eclectic collection on display ranges from
religious art to Portuguese ceramics.

The home of José Régio (1901–69), the eminent Portuguese poet and dramatist, is
near the Praça da República. Now the Museu José Régio , it
contains some fascinating folk art objects in a variety of media as well as his
collection of crucifixes and a recreated Alentejan kitchen.