Arraiolos Castle, Carpets and Empanadas

One of our waiters at the Vinarium, Richard, mentioned that we should go to his favourite place - Arraiolos. It was not far from the megaliths and even though we didn’t know why it was his favourite place, we decided to go.

I did check online beforehand and found out that the empanadas made there were good (supper?) and there was a circular castle in the town. I asked Christina, our host about it and she said that the town was famous for the carpets made there.

The town was very tidy and everything was painted white. We could see the castle high on the hill and headed up. The castle was built in the 14th century on the top of the hill called Monte de S. Pedro. Inside the walls, an old 16th century Igreja do Salvador (church) dominated the very top. It was all locked up though and didn’t look like it was in the greatest condition.

Once again though, the castle is on the highest hill and it provides an amazing view over the white houses of the village of Arraiolos and the landscape all around. But the castle is interesting because it is one of the few in the world to have been built in a circle.

We drove into town at the base of the hill and it seemed like a ghost town. We just saw a few elderly men walking about in this town of 7,000 people, known for its handmade carpets and tapestries.

Although no one knows for sure, some people think that the art of Arraiolos Carpets may have started with the Moors during the 12th century. The technique is a form of cross-stitch that completely covers a linen cloth foundation. It was developed during the 15th century into what is still done today. Its peak was in the 18th century, with the flower motifs.

Stores weren’t open for us to look at the carpets up close but we looked at them through the store windows. They looked okay but not something that we would pay a lot of money for and then try to pack in our backpacks! I guess that without seeing the work involved with making them, we don’t really appreciate this art form... But they must be something special as these carpets have decorated palaces and manor houses for centuries.

Now regarding our dinner - the empanadas. We found a bakery that sells them and had fun trying to figure out what was inside of them. Chris mooed and clucked and baaed to the amusement of the shop keepers. We ended up getting 3 moos and 3 clucks!Read more