Inside the Medieval Walls of Evora, Portugal (and the Chapel of Bones)

Inside the medieval walls of Evora, Portugal was on our must do visit list during our May 2024 trip. Evora is an inland city in Portugal which carries the distinction of an UNESCO World Heritage Centre whose town’s historic center is still partially enclosed by its 15th century medieval walls.

History of Evora

The history of Evora, Portugal goes back much further than medieval times, actually it can be traced back over 5000 years to the Celtics. In 57 BC the Romans conquered the area and expanded the city. Still standing are ruins of a Roman temple which was constructed in the 1st century AD. In 715-1165, Evora was under Moorish rule. Then in 1166, Portuguese took over the city under the rule of King Alfonso I. Evora thrived during the Middle Ages and became an important stronghold for the Portuguese Kingdom.

Ruinas Fingidas

We awoke to a great breakfast and were ready to explore. As we walked towards the medieval city wall it amazed us both how grand it is. There are four gates in the wall and it along with 40 turrets. We walked along the outside, through a garden with a lovely fountain. We didn’t see an entrance near us but saw people walking to the wall and not coming back near the fountain. Of course we went to explore and found an almost hidden walkway through the city wall.

It was a lovely day and much to our surprise we heard quite a bit of screaming. No one was in distress, it was just a few Peacocks showing off and strutting around in the Ruinas Fingidas.

The Ruinas Fingidas translates to False Ruins. That is exactly what these lovely ruins are. Built in the 19th century from rocks, stones and odds and ends from old buildings. The ruins appear to be genuine and I had already imagined it to once be a medieval villa, but I was wrong.

Igreja de Sao Francisco

The church of Saint Francis is a Roman Catholic Church. Built in 1475 through 1550 it is very majestic and ornate. The photos do not do justice to the church. It is truly a work of art.

The Chapel of Bones

Just around the corner and through an arch walkway is the small but creepy chapel of bones. I have no idea how many chapel of bones there are in Portugal, but I was told this is the largest. Being that it was built in the 17th century, these bones are pretty old.

Welcoming all who enter with the words above the doorway that states, We the bones that are here for yours we are waiting. Now that alone is enough to run a chill up your spine!

Another creepy bit of information, according to the sign in the chapel, is the chapel originally was dedicated to the the cult of the Souls of Purgatory. From what I have read, three Franciscan monks are given credit for coming up with this idea of a bone chapel. They built this so parishioners could reflect on the fragility of life and have a visual to reflect on death. There are over 5000 bones and they were from the Evora cemeteries. There are more stories of how the chapel came about, regardless, it was creepy and I did not spend much time in here. I quickly snapped photos, regardless of whether the shot was void of people, and I was out.

To be honest, even the information signs gave me a bit of an eerie feeling. All in all, this was not my favorite stop, but I had to check it out anyway. For me, the vibe is kind of like putting your hands over your eyes during a scary movie but peaking anyway.

Streets of Evora

Walking through the medieval streets of Evora to our next destination was much more pleasant than the bone chapel! Evora is a vibrant town with a true medieval vibe.

We also enjoyed walking through the streets in the evening as well, it was much less crowded and very quiet.

Cathedral of Evora

The Cathedral of Evora is another Roman Catholic Church and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built between 1186 and 1204 it is one of the oldest churches in this area. Enlarged between 1280 and 1340 it is the largest Medieval Cathedral in Portugal. Another beautiful church with amazing architecture and an elaborate interior.

What is really amazing about the Cathedral of Evora is you can access the roof top and see the amazing views from there. To access the rooftop you do have to pay a small fee. I believe it was 3 or 4 euros each. You must climb up a narrow spiral staircase that seems to go on forever. Walking on the roof is pretty amazing.

Roman Temple

The Roman Temple which I mentioned early. It is fun to see this Roman Temple, although in ruins, standing proudly in the town. Known as the Temple of Diana as it was once thought to have been built to honor the goddess. More recently the belief is the temple was built to honor Emperor Augustus and for his use.

Shopping

We had time for a bit shopping in the medieval streets of Evora and found many Portugal products. In addition, we found prices to be quite reasonable. We enjoyed looking at the various cork items. Evora is famous for its cork trees. It is impressive how many items are made from cork. It is almost like leather so we saw bags, hats, belts, wallets and even shoes made from cork. We decided to buy ourselves a couple of cork hats and they make a great souvenir.

Evora Aqueduct

Rebuilt in 1537 the Old Roman Aqueduct is quite amazing and now is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can see the aqueduct both inside and outside the city walls. As a matter of fact you can drive under it! We drove outside the city and walked along the aqueduct for a short while and found where it began.

Where We Stayed and Ate

We stayed outside the old city wall at the Victoria Stone Hotel. It was a nice place and quite comfortable. Just a few blocks from the old wall made this an easy walk. We enjoyed dinner here and also breakfast. Both were good but the breakfast buffet was quite a feast. Local and traditional fresh food made it the perfect start to our day. For some reason I did not take photos of the hotel but do have a couple from dinner.

Conclusion

Evora is another spot we fell in love with in Portugal and enjoyed wandering within its medieval walls. Like every post I have written about our stops in Portugal, we wish we would have stayed here an extra day. This was a short trip and we were happy we saw so much but there was so much more to see. Maybe another time.

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Planning

I do a lot of research before a trip and below are some of the items I use to help plan. I also use these items throughout my trip and they have all been a good resource.

My favorite travel guides are the DK Eyewitness guides. These books are smaller and fit nicely in your bag, come with a removable map, are durable, sort the information in a logical way, and easy to read. While they just give a brief synopsis of each area, I find areas I like and then google or search for more information.

I also like a map when I travel because you never know when you will loose GPS. We have many times had to rely on the old fashion method of pulling out a map. I have found the National Geographic Maps to be very useful. The ones I have used have been accurate, durable, and easy to follow. You can click on an Amazon link to a map here https://amzn.to/4dRJNqQ

We are an Amazon affiliate so if you purchase the tour guides or maps we do get a small commission at no cost to you.

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