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.

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.

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.

The Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Assunção de Alvito, as it is officially known, was built in the late 13th or early 14th century and was dedicated to Santa Maria de Alvito at the time. Between 1485 and 1535, it underwent extension work, with almost all of the walls being knocked down. Archaeologist Jorge Feio assures us that “it is still possible to see architectural elements from the first phase. The extension is identical to the Igreja Matriz de Viana do Alentejo, so it may have been designed by the same architects (the Arrudas family, architects of the Court)”. Dom João Fernandes da Silveira, the first Baron of Alvito (and of Portugal), is buried in this church. Its greatest wealth is fundamentally in its interior, through the gilded carved altars (the one on the main altar was placed between 1692 and 1705) and the tiles: those in the main chapel were placed before 1625, and others, “Persian carpet type”, some of them using only yellow and white, “very rare”, which decorate the body of the church, dating from 1647.

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.

Moura Castle dates back to the 13th century, during the Christian rule achieved in 1232 during the reign of King Dinis. During the medieval period, the town suffered several invasions, which ended up destroying the castle with its Muslim walls. It was during the Order of Aviz that a third of the income from the churches of Moura and Serpa was donated to rebuild the castle. A line of watchtowers was built covering the border, of which the Atalia da Cabeça Magra remains. During the reign of King Fernando, in the 14th century, the second walled enclosure began to enclose more of the surrounding area. Between 1805 and 1826, the old rammed earth walls of the castle were used as raw material for the production of saltpeter. The western section of the citadel wall was demolished to make way for the Vista Alegre wine press, an order given by José Pimenta Calça. The castle stands 184 metres above sea level and is built in the form of a citadel measuring 200 x 100 metres. The rectangular floor plan is in the Manueline style and features the tomb of Pedro and Álvaro Rodrigues, the conquerors of Moura from the Muslims in 1166 and protagonists of the Legend of the Town of Moura. In the late 1950s, the government began to intervene, which lasted for around 20 years. Archaeological surveys began in 1981 and restoration work began between 1982 and 1986. In 2002, the castle underwent further interventions, which included landscaping improvements. The Keep is in the Gothic style and is solid in the lower part. It has an octagonal room covered by a ribbed vault with pointed arches, supported by eight columns with slender shafts. During the 19th century, one of the towers was converted into a Clock Tower. Castle Opening Hours: Every day | 09:00 to 17:30 Clock Tower Opening Hours: Every day | 09:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 17:30

In Praça da República, in the center of Alvito, you will find this bandstand, which was once the stage for philharmonic band concerts. The lower part currently houses public and accessible toilets.👍🇵🇹