Tourist Attractions in Elvas
Approximately in the same latitude as Lisbon, Elvas (altitude: 300m/985ft) is an old fortress town near the Spanish frontier and set amid rich fruit orchards and olive groves. To counter its Spanish opposite number, Badajoz, the town was ever more strongly fortified from the late medieval period onwards, and in the 17th and 18th centuries was still further reinforced by powerful forts, which are among the best preserved and most impressive of their period in Portugal.
Nowadays the center for marketing the agricultural produce of the fertile surrounding area, Elvas is also popular with tourists and has several fairly large hotels in the middle of town, set in pleasant gardens.
While in Elvas it is worth trying the local delicacy of candied plums.
Townscape
Within its massive walls Elvas has retained much of its original Moorish character, and in and around the alleys of the old town there are still houses with elegant iron window grilles, fine archways and many picturesque squares.
The town revolves around the Praça da República; on its south side stands the old 16th century town hall with a small regional museum and the tourist information center.
Nowadays the center for marketing the agricultural produce of the fertile surrounding area, Elvas is also popular with tourists and has several fairly large hotels in the middle of town, set in pleasant gardens.
While in Elvas it is worth trying the local delicacy of candied plums.
Townscape
Within its massive walls Elvas has retained much of its original Moorish character, and in and around the alleys of the old town there are still houses with elegant iron window grilles, fine archways and many picturesque squares.
The town revolves around the Praça da República; on its south side stands the old 16th century town hall with a small regional museum and the tourist information center.
Aqueduto da Amoreira
The road into Elvas from Estremoz or Lisbon enters the town alongside the Aqueduto da Amoreira, an aqueduct more than 7km/4.5 mi long, built between 1498 and 1622 on the foundations of a Roman aqueduct, which still supplies water to the 17th century Misericórdia fountain on the western edge of the town center. The aqueduct's 843 arches - about half of them still from the original construction - are in up to four tiers, reaching a maximum height of 31m/100ft.
Campo Maior, Portugal
(Near Elvas)
About 20km/12.5mi northeast of Elvas is the picturesque little town of Campo Maior (alt. 277m/909ft, pop. 8,500), still enclosed within a complete circuit of walls (17th/18th C.), with a 14th C. castle built by King Dinis and a Gothic parish church (charnel-house).
Castelo
Just northeast of the Largo Santa Clara stands the castle built by the Moors in the 13th C. on the site of an earlier Roman fortress and enlarged in the 15th C., with a massive keep. There are fine views from the bastions.
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 |
| Close | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 |
| Open | 14:30 | 14:30 | 14:30 | 14:30 | 14:30 | 14:30 | 14:30 |
| Close | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 |
Facilities
Restaurant or food service
Convento de S. Domingos
To the east of the Jesuit convent is the former Dominican convent, founded in 1267 and frequently modified in the 15th, 16th and 17th C. The convent church, which is open to the public, has impressive stellar vaulting in the chancel.
Convento dos Jesuitas
South of the Praça da Repúblic, in the former Jesuit convent, the Convento dos Jesuitas, is the town library and its museum, the Museu de António Tomás Pires, containing a collection of religious art, archeology (Roman mosaics), coins, pictures and sculpture of the 13th-16th century and folk art. The library's 55,000 volumes include some very rare editions (e.g. a 16th century bible).
Forte de S. Luzia
To the south of the town is the Santa Luzia fort, an excellent and well preserved example of 17th C. Portuguese military engineering.
Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Assunçao
On the north side of the Praça da República is the church of Nossa Senhora da Assunçao which served as a cathedral from 1570 to 1882 when Elvas was the episcopal see. Originally Late Gothic, the church was rebuilt in the 16th C. in Manueline style. The main facade, with its classic portico, stems from the 17th/18th C. It has a beautiful three aisled interior with polychrome azulejo decoration.
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | Closed | |||||
| Close |
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
Anniversity of the Revolution - Portugal (April 25)
May Day / Labor Day (May 1)
National Day - Portugal (June 10)
Assumption Day - Christian (August 15)
Republic Day - Portugal (October 5)
All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1)
Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8)
Independence Day - Portugal (December 1)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Good Friday - Christian (Apr 06)
Corpus Christi - Christian (Jun 10)
Anniversity of the Revolution - Portugal (April 25)
May Day / Labor Day (May 1)
National Day - Portugal (June 10)
Assumption Day - Christian (August 15)
Republic Day - Portugal (October 5)
All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1)
Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8)
Independence Day - Portugal (December 1)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Good Friday - Christian (Apr 06)
Corpus Christi - Christian (Jun 10)
Disabled
Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Consolaçao
Uphill from the former cathedral is the church of Nossa Senhora da Consolaçao. Its unusual octagonal central building is part of a Dominican monastery founded in the mid 16th C. The church was substantially altered in the mid 17th C. The dome, borne on columns, is entirely covered with azulejos.
Largo Santa Clara
Adjoining the Dominican church is the picturesque Largo Santa Clara, surrounded by handsome houses with elegant iron window grilles. In the middle of the square is a fine 16th C. pelourinho (pillory column).
