Begun in 1186 and consecrated in 1204, the granite cathedral of Santa Maria
was completed by 1250. Romanesque melds with Gothic in this castle-like
cathedral whose towers, one turreted, one topped by a blue cone, give the
façade an odd asymmetry. Flanking the portal between them are superb
14th-century sculpted Apostles. The 18th-century high altar and marble
chancel are by JF Ludwig, the architect of the monastery at Mafra. A
Renaissance portal in the north transept is by Nicolau Chanterène. In the
cloisters, which date from about 1325, statues of the Evangelists stand
watch at each corner.

A glittering treasury houses sacred art. The most intriguing exhibit here is
a 13th-century ivory Virgin whose body opens out to become a triptych of
tiny carved scenes: her life in nine episodes.

This 16th-century palace, once the residence of governors and bishops, is now
the regional museum. Évora’s history is all here, from Roman columns to
modern sculpture in local marble. A beautiful Moorish window came from the
old town hall, and a stone frieze probably from the Roman temple. Notable
upstairs are The Life of the Virgin , a 16th-century
Flemish polyptych in 13 panels and works by the Portuguese painter known as
the Master of Sardoal, especially his Two Bishop-Saints 
and a Nativity .

With the establishment of the Jesuits’ Colégio do Espírito Santo, Évora,
already noted for its architecture and sacred art, became a seat of
learning. The school, which was inaugurated in 1559 by Cardinal Henrique,
brother of João III, flourished for 200 years, but was closed in 1759 when
the reforming Marquês de Pombal banished the Jesuits.

Today part of the University of Évora, the school still has a graceful
cloister and notable azulejos  – in the classrooms they
depict suitably studious themes such as Plato lecturing to disciples
(1744–9). The 18th-century Baroque chapel, now the Sala dos Actos, is used
for graduation ceremonies.

Évora’s bustling main square is bounded along its eastern side by a series of
graceful Moorish arcades. The name Giraldo, some say, stems from Geraldo
Sem-Pavor (the Fearless), an outlaw who in 1165 ousted the Moors for King
Afonso Henriques.

The square has witnessed some bloody acts: João II watched the beheading of
his brother-in-law, the Duke of Bragança, here in 1483, and it was the site
in 1573 of an Inquisitional burning. Today, it is a favourite meeting-place,
especially on market days.

The principal fascination of this 15th-century church is its Capela dos
Ossos. This gruesome chapel of bones was created in the 17th century from
the remains of 5,000 monks. Two leathery corpses, one of a child, dangle
from a chain, and a mordant reminder at the entrance reads: Nós
ossos que aqui estamos, pelos vossos esperamos  (We bones that are
here await yours).

The western entrance to this square is guarded by the vestiges of a Moorish
gateway. Both the domed Casa Soure and the double arches of the belvedere on
Casa Cordovil at the opposite end, show the Arab influence on architecture
in Évora. The central fountain, looking like some futuristic orb,
surprisingly dates back to 1556. Just south of the square, the portal of the
Convento do Carmo features the knot symbol, denoting it once belonged to the
Braganças.

On the southern edge of the old town, Évora’s public gardens are set out on
the site of the grandiose Palácio de Dom Manuel, built for Afonso V
(1438–81) and embellished by successive kings. It was the venue for grand
banquets and ceremonies but fell into disrepair and finally disappeared in
1895. All that remains is the graceful Galeria das Damas, a 20th-century
reconstruction of a walkway and pavilion built for Manuel I (1495–1521).

The fortifications that have protected Évora down the centuries form two
incomplete concentric circles. The inner ring, of which only fragments are
discernible, is Roman, from perhaps as early as the 1st century AD, with
Moorish and medieval additions – the two stubby towers that give the Largo
da Porta de Moura its name mark an Arab gate.

In the 14th century, new walls were built to encompass the growing town.
Completed under Fernando I, these had 40 towers and ten gates, including the
Porta de Alconchel, which still faces the Lisbon road.

When João IV was defiantly declared king in 1640, major fortifications were
erected on this outer ring in anticipation of Spanish attack, and it is
these 17th-century walls which are most evident today. The fear of attack
was not unfounded, and the walls withstood much battering from the besieging
Spanish in 1663.

Évora’s aqueduct, evocatively called “of the silver water”, was built between
1531 and 1537 by the town’s own eminent architect, Francisco de Arruda. The
construction was regarded with wonder, and is even described in Os Lusíadas , the epic by Luís de Camões. It originally carried
water as far as the Praça do Giraldo. Like the walls, it was damaged in the
17th century during the Restoration War with Spain, but a surviving stretch,
some 9 km (5 miles) long, can still be seen approaching from the northwest:
there is a good view of it from Rua Cândido dos Reis.