Evora, Portugal Travel Journals & Blogs

Traveler Spain and Portugal, 2024
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- May 3, 2024
- ⛅ 21 °C
- Altitude: 300 m
- Portugal Évora Senhora da Saúde Evora Praça do Girald 38.570398, -7.90962838°34’13” N 7°54’35” W
Day 17
Evora, Portugal, May 3, 2024
May 3 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Our group of 16, left Lisbon on a two hour bus trip to Evora, Portugal, a UNESCO heritage city which has ancient city walls, the remnants of a Roman temple, the bone chapel and a couple of Pousadas. Pousadas are old buildings, often convents which were emptied in 1834 when the Portuguese king outlawed all religious orders. Our Pousada was a beautiful renovation of one of those abandoned convents. A local guide, Sylvia gave us an detailed tour of parts of the city including the 16th century aqueduct, built when the city was the capital of Portugal, city streets and the evolution of styles, the remains of the Roman temple built on the 1st century AD to honor the emperor. Anna and I walked the old city wall after being sent to the wrong Pousada by a well-meaning local. We enjoyed hamburgers and wine at a tiny little eatery as we worked our way through the city to the Pousada. The next morning we toured the famous Bone Chapel, lined with the bones of some 500 monks. The chapel has an inscription over the entrance in Portuguese which says: "These bones are here waiting for your bones."Read more
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Traveler Covid trip reimagined 23
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- May 29, 2023, 12:19 PM
- ☁️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 311 m
- Portugal Évora Senhora da Saúde Evora Jardim Diana 38.572845, -7.90779238°34’22” N 7°54’28” W
Day 29
Evora;
May 29, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Quiet day getting cough sorted! Saw Dr am, bloods off - result tomorrow. She prescribed a codeine based cough suppressant so I had 5 hours with out coughing!!!!! Next dose before bed!
I now have 5 meds to keep track of. I will need a shopping cart for them.
The Dr was so kind; obviously doesn’t think I am infectious as she hugged me and Euan twice and went off and both the last Med for me and had it waiting with a glass of water. .
Hoping for a better night tonight🤞. We are due to head to Lagos down close to the south West Coast tomorrow. The Albergaria do Calvario where we are staying was converted into a hotel from the convent olive oil press building in 1998. All our rooms are huge, in fact when I was having a chocking/coughing fit Euan didn’t hear me! Well, that’s what he said!!!!!Read more
Traveler Hope you had a good sleep Trish and are on the mend xx
5/30/23Reply
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Portugal Roadtrip 2023
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- May 13, 2023, 8:52 PM
- 🌙 19 °C
- Altitude: 313 m
- Portugal Évora Senhora da Saúde Evora Cathedral of Évora 38.571701, -7.907238°34’18” N 7°54’26” W
Day 8
Heeee, ab in den Süden ☀️
May 13, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 19 °C
Die nächste große Strecke "on the road" steht an, denn wir wollen wieder zurück ans Meer 💙. Ca. 400 km heißer Asphalt liegen vor uns - los geht's!
Nach einem wirklich sehr leckeren Frühstück in unserem gebuchten Appartement und einem anschließenden, kurzen Stopp an der Tankstelle fuhren wir in die nächste Stadt namens Évora, welche von der UNESCO ebenfalls zum Weltkulturerbe ernannt wurde. Die Stadt ist außerdem für ihre gelb umrandeten Fenster und Türen bekannt.
Aufgefallen sind uns zu allererst die Überreste eines römischen Tempels, welcher im 1. Jahrhundert (!) nach Christus erbaut wurde. Man nennt ihn hier auch "Templo de Diana". Wirklich faszinierend, dass diese Ruine so viele Jahre überlebt hat! 🤯
Einige Meter weiter steht die Sé Catedral de Évora - eine Kathedrale, die zu den wichtigsten Denkmälern der Stadt gehört.
Das verrückteste und zugleich gruseligste was wir heute gesehen hatten, war die Capela dos Ossos. Diese Kapelle ist Teil des Klosters und der Kirche von São Francisco de Évora und besteht seit dem 17. Jahrhundert. Über der Tür wurden wir durch die Inschrift "Wir Knochen, die für deine hier sind, warten auf dich!" begrüßt. Was wir jedoch innen vorfinden konnten, überwältigte uns. Die Wände und Teile der Decken waren übersäht mit Knochen 😳. Schädel, Wirbel und Oberschenkelknochen wurden nur so übereinander gestapelt. Laut Geschichte waren wohl einige Klosterfriedhöfe zu voll, sodass man die Skelette anderweitig "nutzen" wollte... aber seht selbst!
Wieder draußen im hellen Sonnenlicht angekommen, spazierten wir durch die engen Gassen der Stadt. Gefühlt versteckte sich hinter jeder Ecke eine neue Kirche.
Ramo hat außerdem eine Straße mit ihrem Namen gefunden 🤭.
Nach einer kurzen Kaffeepause für Olli, fuhren wir weiter in den Süden!
Rechtzeitig zum Sonnenuntergang sind wir in Monte Gordo angekommen 💪🤩.Read more
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West Europe - North Africa
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- Jul 10, 2023, 2:00 PM
- ☀️ 36 °C
- Altitude: 315 m
- Portugal Évora Senhora da Saúde Evora Cathedral of Évora 38.571667, -7.90666738°34’18” N 7°54’24” W
Day 107
Évora
July 10, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C
Évora va vista...ma d'estate è da temerari!
37 gradi certificati, percepiti 47.
Charlie concorda e segna la temperatura corretta (vedi foto 😭😅).
Sicuramente molto carina, ma non l'ho apprezzata molto sia per il suo essere cittadina, sia per il caldo.
La cappella di ossa è sicuramente un must da vedere nonostante le sue 6€ di biglietto.
Il biglietto vi dà accesso anche ad un particolare museo di presepi.
Ci si ripasserà in inverno e vediamo se avrò più amore per questa cittadina. Per ora vincono tutti i bei paesini nei suoi d'intorni ed i vari monumenti megalitici.Read more
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Traveler Portugal
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- Jun 26, 2022, 1:09 PM
- ☀️ 70 °F
- Altitude: 935 ft
- Portugal Évora Senhora da Saúde Evora Igreja e Mosteiro de São Francisco 38.568913, -7.90862838°34’8” N 7°54’31” W
Day 6
Évora
June 26, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
Évora is the capital of the Alentejo region, a university town, and a former home of Portuguese kings. The Igreja de São Francisco was built by the Franciscans in the 14th century and handily a Mass was just starting as I arrived. The attached monastery is famous for its Chapel of Bones, which the monks built to remind people not to focus on material things. The message above the chapel’s entrance says “We bones that are here await yours.”

I also visited the Roman temple, because I can’t resist Roman ruins. This temple has quite a history. It was built in the first century CE and largely destroyed by invading Germanic tribes in the fifth century. Then it was filled in and used as part of a castle, subsequently spending almost 400 years as a slaughterhouse. Finally, in the 19th century, it was restored as a temple. There's also a lovely little garden with a sweeping view of the city and surrounding countryside across the street.Read more
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Treasured Memories Portugal
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- Aug 30, 2023, 10:45 AM
- ☀️ 73 °F
- Altitude: 935 ft
- Portugal Évora Senhora da Saúde Evora Igreja e Mosteiro de São Francisco 38.56897, -7.9086238°34’8” N 7°54’31” W
Day 7
Church of St. Francis & Chapel of Bones
August 30, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F
The Church of Saint Francis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was built by King Ferdinand I of Portugal and the Franciscan monks in the late 15th century. Known for its intricate Gothic and Manueline architecture, it's a significant example of medieval religious buildings. The interior is particularly notable for its ornate chapels and elaborate tilework.

The Chapel of Bones was constructed as an extension of the Church of St. Francis in the first half of the 17th century. The unique chapel was overseen by three Franciscan monks from 1460 to 1510. They aimed to prompt their Franciscan brothers to ponder the fleeting and transient aspects of life —” Remember, o man, that you are dust, and to the dust, you will return.”

During the Chapel of Bones' construction, the city's Franciscan cemeteries were full, leading monks to exhume remains for space. Three monks conceived a chapel adorned with bones as decorations—walls, columns, arches, and domes. Bone fragments were even incorporated into the mortar. Roughly 5,000 corpses are believed to have been used.

To access the chapel, one must pass through a doorway with the following message written over the threshold: "Nos ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos," a phrase that can be roughly understood as "We the bones that are here for yours we are waiting.”Read more
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Traveler Portugal
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- Feb 15, 2024, 1:05 PM
- 🌧 17 °C
- Altitude: 280 m
- Portugal Évora Senhora da Saúde Evora Igreja e Mosteiro de São Francisco 38.568906, -7.90877338°34’8” N 7°54’32” W
Day 6
Capela dos Ossos
February 15 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 17 °C
Die Capela dos Ossos wurde im 17. Jahrhundert auf Initiative dreier Franziskanermönche erbaut, deren Ziel es war, die Botschaft von der Vergänglichkeit und Zerbrechlichkeit des menschlichen Lebens zu vermitteln. Diese Botschaft wird den Besuchern am Eingang durch das Schild „Wir, die wir hier sind, wir warten auf Sie“ deutlich vermittelt. Es zeigt tief im Inneren die makabre Vorliebe des Barockmenschen für Nekrophilie.Read more
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Traveler BlueMAN and me on Tour
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- Apr 5, 2024, 11:54 AM
- ☁️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 267 m
- Portugal Évora Senhora da Saúde Evora Jardim Público de Évora 38.567055, -7.91336638°34’1” N 7°54’48” W
Day 63
Evora - Weltkulturerbe UNESCO
April 5 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Ich habe Glück! 1.5 km vor der Stadtmauer gibt es einen gratis Stellplatz. Als ich um 11 dort ankomme, hat es genau 1 Platz in der für WoMos erlaubten Zone.
Die Stadt ist hübsch, sehr sauber, viele Häuser im Kern sind zurecht gemacht. Die Stadt hat Geschichte und Charme.
Und wohl die grusligste Kappelle aller Zeiten.Read more
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2023
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- May 28, 2023, 11:43 AM
- ☁️ 19 °C
- Altitude: 293 m
- Portugal Évora Senhora da Saúde Evora Praça Joaquim António De Aguiar 38.574856, -7.91402138°34’29” N 7°54’50” W
Day 21
The Cathedral of Evora
May 28, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Our morning guide took us on a route march through Evora. The cathedral's claim to fame is the longest nave in Portugal and two statues of the pregnant Virgin Mary. We climbed up onto the roof to see the views, it was quite loud when the bells started up!Read more
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2023
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- May 28, 2023, 1:20 PM
- ☁️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 293 m
- Portugal Évora Senhora da Saúde Evora Praça Joaquim António De Aguiar 38.574841, -7.91401338°34’29” N 7°54’50” W
Day 21
The Bones Chapel
May 28, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Monks used this area for prayer and contemplation The town wanted to dig up the cemeteries to free up land so the Franciscan friars decided to relocate the bones of some 5000 corpses. There is only one child. The skulls look small because they are missing their lower jaw bones. The inscription above the door reads “Our bones are here, waiting for yours”Read more
Traveler Apt saying !😂
5/28/23Reply
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