Evora

Yet another UNESCO World Heritage site going back centuries. It sits on a bump on the plains which all ages of Mankind have chosen for safety.
Surprisingly, the population at roughly 13,000 heads is equivalent to that of its heyday in medievil times, which gives it the unstressed feeling of a comfortably well-off market town. It is hard to believe that for a time it was the capital city.
⦁ Apparently all visitors start with this view of the remains Temple of Diana, although there is no evidence that it was in honour of the goddess.
⦁ This is really what people see first, a gate into the city.
⦁ One of the reasons that the Romans favoured the place is that the nearby water supply is higher than the city, so can be gravity fed into it.
⦁ The single story aquaduct enters by the Temple but is channelled down the Rua Nova to the fountain in Praca de Giraldo. It is still in use today, though not quite what the builders had in mind. Look closely at the left side of the picture.
⦁ The Praca de Giraldo is full of military folk standing in front of the parochial church, which is so boring it is not even mentioned on the guide. The airmen are kitted out with pikes in order to defend the city walls. Today is the Fiesta for the patron saint of Evora and they have to stand on parade in the sun listening to interminable speeches from local functionaries. 2 ambulances are present in case of need: one for heat and the other for tedium.
⦁ A look at the cathedral through the Porta de Moura from one of the many fountains around.Weiterlesen