Arraiolos Attractions
The ancient little town of Arraiolos(altitude: 275m/900ft.) about 20km/12mi north of Évora, referred to by the Alexandrian geographer Ptolemy under the name of Arandia, is set in delightful surroundings on a low hill above the wide Alentejo plain, with magnificent views.
The town is noted for its brightly colored woolen carpets which are made in a kind of cross-stitch.
This form of carpetmaking, presumably inherited from the Moors, has been practiced here since the 17th C. The early designs were mainly Persian imitations, subsequently becoming geometric and more local. Arraiolos carpets, still mostly in strong colors, have been back in fashion since the mid 1970s, and are sold in other Alentejo towns, such as Évora, as well as in Arraiolos itself.
The town is noted for its brightly colored woolen carpets which are made in a kind of cross-stitch.
This form of carpetmaking, presumably inherited from the Moors, has been practiced here since the 17th C. The early designs were mainly Persian imitations, subsequently becoming geometric and more local. Arraiolos carpets, still mostly in strong colors, have been back in fashion since the mid 1970s, and are sold in other Alentejo towns, such as Évora, as well as in Arraiolos itself.
Castelo
Above the white houses of the town, with their colored (mostly blue) window frames, rise the massive ruins of the 14th C. castle, with two gates and six square towers and, within its walls, a 16th C. church. From here there is a superb view over the town and the fertile Alentejo plain.
Igreja da Misericórdia
The church of the Misericórdia, just south of the town hall, dates from the 16th C. and contains beautiful azulejo decoration (18th C.) and some notable paintings.
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Quinta dos Lóios
Outside the town, to the north, stands the old Convento (now Quinta) dos Lóios (16th C.), now used by a commercial estate. Its church has a Manueline doorway and is completely faced with azulejos (c. 1700); the size of the interior is apparently increased by trompe-l'oeil painting. In the two story cloister is a beautiful marble basin of 1575.
Santana do Campo, Portugal
(Near Arraiolos)
The village church of Santana do Campo 6km/4mi northwest of Arraiolos was built on the site of a Roman temple.
Town hall (Carpet Exhibition)
The late 19th C. town hall, next to the tourist office, houses a permanent exhibition of Arraiolos carpets (also on sale).
