To Visit Portugal

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Visit the Estate of Fort Conde - Pitfalls

The Estate of Fort Conde, located in the Town of Pitfalls, is the Chapel of Our Lady of Remedies.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Vila Viçosa is a Portuguese town, located in the District of Évora, Alentejo Central Alentejo region and subregion, with 5400 inhabitants.
It is the seat of a municipality with 194.62 km ² and 8,871 inhabitants (2001), divided into five districts. The municipality is bordered to the north and east by the city of Elvas, Estremoz the south, west and northwest by the Redondo Borba.
Vila Viçosa remained the Dukes of Bragança for several centuries until the proclamation of the Republic and its properties and magnificent Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa.

The parishes of Vila Viçosa are: Bencatel, Pitfalls, Conceição (Vila Viçosa), Sparrows, St. Bartholomew (Vila Viçosa)

Brief Historical Summary
V

ila Viçosa was occupied by the Romans and Muslims until conquered in 1217 during the reign of King Alfonso II. D. Sancho II, in 1270 received a charter of King Afonso III seeing his name changed to Valley Lush Vila Viçosa. In the fourteenth century, D. Dinis erected the Castle of Vila Viçosa.

Crisis of 1383-1385, the chief commander of the Order of Avis, Vasco Porcalho, betrayed and, taking advantage of Castile, took possession of Évora with its two hundred and fifty men and two hundred Spaniards, forcing the population to flee to Borba. A year and some months later, in the stampede that followed the battle of Aljubarrota Porcalho Vasco and his host left the village or whether the castle.

Vila Vicosa in 1461 became part of the Duchy of Braganza. In 1500, James I of Braganza was invited to return to court by D. Manuel I was restored to him the titles and the lands of the duchy.

In 1502 with the start of construction of the Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa, Évora became the headquarters of the Duchy of Braganza. In 1512, Vila Viçosa receives its charter by King Manuel I.

During the Philippine area, Vila Viçosa, was home to the largest ducal court of the Iberian Peninsula. In 1640, a group of conspirators convinced then John II, Duke of Braganza to accept the throne of Portugal, becoming the December 1, 1640, D. John IV (1640-1656) ushering in the House of Bragança.

From this date, Vila Viçosa, lost glow and became the royal residence of vacation. In 1646, John IV of Portugal offered the crown of Portugal, the Nossa Senhora da Conceição in gratitude for the good of the Restoration War campaign, becoming Our Lady of Conception, Patroness and Queen of Portugal. From this date, no more King of Portugal wore the crown.

Vila Viçosa was severely shaken by the earthquake of 1755. In the early nineteenth century, Vila Viçosa was looted during the Napoleonic wars.

In the 1930s, the exploitation of marble (Estremoz marble) and opening of the Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa to tourism, Vila Viçosa began to change until the present day. Today, as with many towns of the Alentejo, its population is decreasing, which is the principal factor causing emigration to other regions in Portugal or abroad.

Economy
The economy of Vila Viçosa industry is primarily based on extraction and processing of marble. The marble of Évora is recognized worldwide, and Évora is known nationally as the Marble Capital. The second most important economic sector of the county is tourism, Vila Viçosa receiving annually about one hundred thousand tourists. The cattle-breeding is still an important source of revenue for the county.

What to Visit

In the Town of Pitfalls
Fort Conde
Church
Roman Bridge
Ribeira da Asseca

In the Town of Conception (Vila Viçosa)
Chapel of St. John the Baptist Carrasqueira
Castelo de Vila Viçosa
Convento das Chagas de Cristo
Cruise Vila Viçosa
Statue of Publi Hortensia Castro
Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição
Augustin Church
Church of Nossa Senhora da Lapa
Marble Museum
Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa
Palace of Matos Azambuja

In the Town of Sparrows
Church of Saint Catherine

In the Parish of St. Bartholomew (Vila Viçosa)
Statue of Bento Jesus Caraça
Statue Florbela Espanca
St. Anthony's Church
Church and Convent of Santa Cruz
Church of Mercy
St. Bartholomew Church

Gastronomy
Entries
Olives
Sausages
Cheese

Soups
Soup Ladle
Tomato soup
Potato Soup
Soup Cachola
Soup Beldroegas
Soup Dogfish
Onion soup
Golden Soup

Dishes
Açorda
Cooked to Alentejo
Lamb Stew
Gazpacho
Migas
Feet of coriander

Desserts
Rice pudding
Flounder
Cake Finto
Pancake
Cheesecakes

Where to eat ...
Vila Viçosa
The Tasquinha Ze
Grill Brothers Broa
Restaurant D. Carlos
Restaurant D. John IV
The Palace Restaurant
Restaurant Florbela Espanca
The Corner Seafood Paradise
The Restaurant Oven
Frame Restaurant
Paradise Restaurant
The restaurant Pipo
The Regional Restaurant
Restaurant The Restaurant
The Cuckoo Restaurant
White Gold Restaurant
Restaurant Peixinhos
The pizzeria Canga
The Ducal Palace Pizzeria
The Tasca Necas
Tavern of the conspirators

In Bencatel
Cafe Central
Hunters' Breakfast
A Stop Pizzeria

In Romà Blessed
The restaurant Carreiro

Where to Stay
Hostels D. Carlos
Pousada D. John IV
Quinta do Alfaval
Solar Dos Mascarenhas
Herdade da Ribeira de Borba

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Visit the Convent of St. Anthony of Alva - Vila Cova de Alva

The Convent of St. Anthony of Alva, located in the Town of Vila Cova de Alva, is now private property.

This monastery has its highest elevation in the cloister of the eighteenth century, divided into two distinct parts: the Church, which has in its interior altarpieces national style, an organ with Rococo elements, among other points of interest, and the convent building, much changed, but where one can still observe the remains of the Chapter Room, the Dining Hall, the dormitory and the Cloister of five bays and small dimensions, whose ground floor is still intact. This consists of the Tuscan order columns that are based on a wall.

The first stone of the convent was launched on September 21, 1713. The arrival of the religious case, however, a year earlier, on March 19, 1712, in order to construct the building. This will have been completed on 24 February 1723, when it is translated from the Blessed Sacrament, accompanied by the religious, to the convent. The reason will be built this monastery in Vila Cova de Alva is still unexplained, although they suggest some conditions that have contributed to this building: the proximity of two other religious communities in Folques (with the Crosier Monastery) andLittle town of Beira (with the Franciscan Convent), the existence of a religious life more or less intense, the weather and water, among others.

Visit the Roman Bridge Vila Cova de Alva

Visit Pelourinho Vila Cova de Alva

Pelourinho de Vila Cova de Alva, is constructed in granite Manueline.

Pelourinho is the octagonal shaft, topped by needle square ornamented.

Visit the Church of Mercy - Vila Cova de Alva

The Church of Mercy, located in the Town of Vila Cova de Alva, have been built in the eighteenth century. Unfortunately her condition deteriorated led even the total destruction of the interior.

The façade baroque, eighteenth century, shows two areas, one rectangular, the portal that frames with pilasters flanked by fins.The pediment is interrupted by a door quadrilobado.

The gable, as the pediment is interrupted by a niche that still boasts a sculpture of the Virgin and Child, dating from the XV-XVI century.

Visit the Church of Vila Cova de Alva

The Church of Vila Cova de Alva have been built in the early eighteenth century, as evidenced by an inscription on its facade with the date 1712.

The portal of this church is going and is accompanied by rectangular pilasters with top finial-shaped niche. It has four windows with pedimented gable and the line has to be cut by the pedestal of the cross. It has a Chancel and two other chapels cut into the body. Their altars are from the first half of the eighteenth century, the national style. Its patron saint Our Lady of the Nativity.

The reconstruction, which occurred in 1952, led to changes in the church tower, stripping it of the balcony which stood at the top, in harmony with the architectural ensemble consisting of the churchyard, and building the spire which we see today.