Attractions and Places To See around Portel - Top 20

The Castle of Alvito (Castelo de Alvito) is a historic fortified residence located in the Alentejo region of Portugal, which since 1993 has hosted the Pousada Castelo Alvito, a luxury hotel belonging to the prestigious Pousadas de Portugal network.

Alvito Castle is a military monument and an inn, located in the village of Alvito, in the Alentejo region, in Portugal. It is considered an example of a fortified palace, which combined the functions of a fortress and a wealthy house. It also stands out for its combination of styles, with several Gothic and Manueline elements, and Islamic inspiration. (Source: Wikipedia) Alvito Castle is currently an inn.

Hermitage built at the beginning of the 16th century, it presents an architecture that can be framed within the Gothic-Mudejar style, an Alentejan particularity of the Gothic style. It is located at the edge of the village in order to protect it, through the patron saint – St. Sebastian –, from the plague. It held a mural painting campaign from the beginning of the 17th century that covered its entire interior. What currently remains, evidences the way of fresco painting specific to this region, namely, with the recurrence of the theme of musician angels. (Source: www.e-cultura.pt)

Moura Castle is a very old fortress, composed of round and square towers, and is the first fortress known to Moura. The Convent of Our Lady of the Assumption was built here, which incorporated the Church of Santiago, the former Moorish mosque, and became the mother church.

Picnic Park, Santa Susana

The chapel of S. Sebastião is one of the monuments in Alvito that is part of the Fresco Route (see information about the Fresco Route), due to the beauty and heritage importance of the fresco paintings that can be seen inside. Located in the Rossio area, the chapel was probably built before 1535, although its authorship is unknown. It is a Manueline style building, with Mudejar influences (similar to the chapel of S. Brás, in Évora). The plan is simple, consisting of a single nave and a main chapel. The vaults of both the nave and the main chapel are painted in fresco, with figures of musical angels and are believed to have been designed by José de Escobar (a resident of Évora).

Situated at a high point in the midst of the Alentejo plains, and offering extensive views over the distant horizons, the graceful town of Alvito has grown around its palatial castle, where the Pousada de Alvito is now housed. The white houses give Alvito the distinct and unmistakable appearance of an Alentejo town, many of them having doors framed by Manueline-style arches, revealing their seventeenth-century origin. The settlement of this town dates back to the early days of the Portuguese monarchy. The town was granted its first charter by the king D. Dinis in 1327, later confirmed by D. Manuel in 1516. The Alvito Castle, whose construction began in 1494, is undoubtedly one of the most curious buildings of its kind in Portugal. Visiting it helps to evoke memories of the town´s historical past. The long Moorish presence in this region left its distinctive marks in the Mudejar architecture clearly visible in various monuments (which laymen can easily recognise through the small cupolas and white-painted conical pinnacles). The parish church of Nossa Senhora da Assunção, dating back to the early sixteenth century, has certain exterior decorative features that clearly identify it as an example of Mudejar architecture. A modest Renaissance doorway leads to the interior, its walls covered in azulejo panels whose beautiful patterns are a harmonious blend of blue and yellow. In the upper choir, there is a large seventeenth-century altarpiece of carved and gilded wood. The same Mudejar influence is also to be noted in the small fortified chapel of São Sebastião, crowned by an array of chamfered merlons. Inside, painted on the vaulted Gothic ceiling are frescos depicting musical angels. Attention is also drawn to the town hall with its picturesque clock tower, a typical feature of Alentejo architecture. Two almost adjoining churches, the Igreja da Misericórdia and the Igreja da Senhora das Candeias (the latter housing a museum of Sacred Art), are equally interesting buildings of some architectural merit, as is the small chapel of Santa Luzia on the outskirts of the town, which was originally a Muslim oratory.

Rising above Moura's old town on a limestone plateaux are the ruins of a once grand castle. The medieval Castelo de Moura was built by King Dom Dinis in the 13th century on the site of an earlier Moorish citadel. There is evidence that the site is even older than this suggesting there was originally an Iron Age hill fort here. The medieval castle was a mixture of old and new including the remains of the Moorish castle and a new watchtower, the remains of which can be seen today. One of the original Moorish towers remained; the Salúquia tower, named after princess Salúquia, the daughter of the Muslim governor Abu Hassan. It is said that when the christians reconquered the town she threw herself from the top of this tower. Over subsequent years the castle was further expanded and fortified. During the 16th century the convent of Nossa Senhora da Assunção was incorporated into the castle grounds, being built on the site of the earlier Moorish mosque. It is said that the convent was home to the tombs of Pedro and Álvaro Rodrigues who were responsible for the reconquest of Moura from the Moors. The castle was almost destroyed during the Spanish War of Succession under the command of the Duke of Osuna in 1707. Further damage was caused by the 1755 earthquake leaving the Moura Castle in ruins. Today the castle is home to landscaped gardens, a military museum and an archaeological museum. It is also a great viewpoint for the town and surrounding countryside including the nearby Alqueva dam.