UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Portugal

UNESCO's Description

The Monastery of the Dominicans of Batalha was built to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians at the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. It was to be the Portuguese monarchy's main building project for the next two centuries. Here a highly original, national Gothic style evolved, profoundly influenced by Manueline art, as demonstrated by its masterpiece, the Royal Cloister.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

The monastery was built to thank the Virgin Mary for the Portuguese victory over the Castilians in the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385, fulfilling a promise of King John I of Portugal. The battle put an end to the 1383–1385 Crisis.

It took over a century to build, starting in 1386 and ending circa 1517, spanning the reign of seven kings. It took the efforts of fifteen architects (Mestre das Obras da Batalha), although for seven of them the title was merely honorary. The construction required an enormous effort, using extraordinary resources of men and material. New techniques and artistic styles, hitherto unknown in Portugal, were deployed.

Work began in 1386 by the Portuguese architect Afonso Domingues, who continued until 1402.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q174779 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

Situated on one of the islands in the Azores archipelago, this was an obligatory port of call from the 15th century until the advent of the steamship in the 19th century. The 400-year-old San Sebastião and San João Baptista fortifications are unique examples of military architecture. Damaged by an earthquake in 1980, Angra is now being restored.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geography

Angra occupies the south coast of Terceira. It is the headquarters of a military command and the seat of a Roman Catholic bishopric. Its principal buildings are the Sé Cathedral of Angra do Heroísmo, a military college, an arsenal, and an observatory. The harbor, now of little commercial or strategic importance (but formerly a major commercial and military port), is sheltered on the west and southwest by the promontory of Monte Brasil, but, today, it is less important than the neighboring ports of Ponta Delgada on the island of São Miguel and Horta on the island of Faial.

History

Some claim that Angra was founded by Álvaro Martins, who sailed with Didrik Pining on his expedition to the New World, and with Bartolomeu Dias on his voyage around the Cape of Good Hope. Others contend that Angra was founded in 1450 or 1451 by Jácome de Bruges, a Fleming in the service of Prince Henry the Navigator, who recruited farmers, fishermen, and merchants in the Low Countries to colonize the Azores.

The first references to the settlement of the Azores date to between 1439 and 1449, through the donation of Henry the Navigator the colonization of seven islands in the central and eastern groups of the archipelago.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q193677 (CC0).

Visiting Centro Histórico de Angra do Heroísmo

Angra do Heroísmo, or simply Angra, is a city and municipality on Terceira Island in Portugal's Azores archipelago (Açores). The town centre is a well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 400-year-old San Sebastião and San João Baptista fortifications are unique examples of military architecture.

It is one of the three capital cities of the Azores, along with Ponta Delgada and Horta.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Angra do Heroísmo (CC BY-SA 4.0).

UNESCO's Description

Originally designed as a monument symbolizing the Reconquest, the Convent of the Knights Templar of Tomar (transferred in 1344 to the Knights of the Order of Christ) came to symbolize just the opposite during the Manueline period – the opening up of Portugal to other civilizations.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

The castle was founded by the Order of Poor Knights of the Temple in 1118. Its construction continued until the final part of the 12th century with the construction of the oratory, in one of the angles of the castle, completed by the Grand Master D. Gualdim Pais sometime around 1160. In 1190 it resisted a major attack from the armies of caliph Abu Yusuf al-Mansur, who was successful in taking strongholds in the south. A plaque was erected near the entrance to the castle to commemorate this event.

During the second quarter of the 13th century, Tomar was transferred into the control of the Templars, becoming its seat.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q736692 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

The Monastery of Santa Maria d'Alcobaça, north of Lisbon, was founded in the 12th century by King Alfonso I. Its size, the purity of its architectural style, the beauty of the materials and the care with which it was built make this a masterpiece of Cistercian Gothic art.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

The Alcobaça Monastery is one of the first buildings associated with the Cistercian Order in Portugal. It was founded in 1153 as a gift from the first Portuguese king, Afonso I or Afonso Henriques (1112–1185), to Bernard of Clairvaux, following the king's conquest of the city of Santarém from the Moors in March 1147. The foundation of the monastery was part of a larger strategy by King Afonso I to assert his authority and promote the colonisation of lands recently conquered from the Moors during the Reconquista.

Construction began in 1178, some 25 years after the first Cistercian monks settled in the Alcobaça region. Initially, the monks lived in wooden houses and would only move to the newly built monastery in 1223. The church proper wasn't completed until 1252.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q593147 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

The Laurisilva of Madeira is an outstanding relict of a previously widespread laurel forest type. It is the largest surviving area of laurel forest and is believed to be 90% primary forest. It contains a unique suite of plants and animals, including many endemic species such as the Madeiran long-toed pigeon.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geography

The islands are an autonomous region of Portugal. They lie southwest of the Portuguese mainland in the Atlantic Ocean, 978 kilometres (608 mi) southwest of Lisbon and 560 kilometres (350 mi) west of Morocco.

Madeira is the largest island and highest island, with an area of 741 square kilometres (286 sq mi). The island extends east–west approximately 57 kilometres (35 mi), and is 22 kilometres (14 mi) at its widest point. A mountainous spine runs the length of the island, and Pico Ruivo, the highest peak, reaches 1,861 meters (6,106 ft) above sea level. Porto Santo Island, which lies 43 kilometres (27 mi) northeast of Madeira. is the second-largest island with an area of 42.2 square kilometres (16.3 sq mi).

Climate

The climate of Madeira is subtropical and maritime. The average annual temperature ranges between 15 and 20 °C at sea level. The climate becomes more temperate with elevation, and frost and snow occur most winters on Madeira's high elevations. Average annual precipitation ranges from 250 to 750 millimetres (9.8 to 29.5 in). Prevailing winds are from the northeast, and rainfall is higher on the windward north side of the island. The mountain slopes are frequently shrouded in orographic clouds and fog, sustaining cloud forests in the wettest areas.

UNESCO's Description

Wine has been produced by traditional landholders in the Alto Douro region for some 2,000 years. Since the 18th century, its main product, port wine, has been world famous for its quality. This long tradition of viticulture has produced a cultural landscape of outstanding beauty that reflects its technological, social and economic evolution.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geography and climate

Távora, Torto, and Pinhão. The region is sheltered from Atlantic winds by the Marão and Montemuro mountains and has a continental climate, with hot and dry summers and cold winters.

Baixo Corgo ("below Corgo"), a subregion with the mildest climate and most precipitation. It has 14,000 hectares (35,000 acres) of vineyards. Although it is the subregion which was planted first, in general, it is considered to give wines of lesser quality than the other two subregions.

Cima Corgo ("above Corgo") is the largest subregion with 19,000 hectares (47,000 acres) of vineyards, centered on the village of Pinhão, and where the majority of the famous Quintas are located.

Douro Superior ("upper Douro") is the hottest and driest of the subregions, and stretches all the way to the Spanish border.

History

There is archaeological evidence for winemaking in the region dating from the end of the Western Roman Empire, during the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, although grape seeds have also been found at older archaeological sites. In medieval times from the mid-12th century, Cistercians had an important influence on winemaking in the region, through their three monasteries Salzedas, São João de Tarouca and São Pedro das Águias.

In the 17th century, the region's vineyards expanded, and the earliest known mention of "Port wine" dates from 1675. The Methuen Treaty between Portugal and England in 1703, and the subsequent establishment of many British Port lodges in Porto meant that Port wine became the primary product of the region, and it became economically very important to Portugal.

UNESCO's Description

The historic town of Guimarães is associated with the emergence of the Portuguese national identity in the 12th century. An exceptionally well-preserved and authentic example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town, its rich building typology exemplifies the specific development of Portuguese architecture from the 15th to 19th century through the consistent use of traditional building materials and techniques. The property includes two monastic complexes and an industrial area, the Couros Zone, which, like the local river, was named after the traditional craft of leather tanning. Evidence of the craft, though no longer practiced, persists in the form of tanneries, workers' houses and urban spaces from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The property bears witness to a thousand years of Portuguese urban, architectural and societal developments.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q2945649 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

The 987-ha site on the volcanic island of Pico, the second largest in the Azores archipelago, consists of a remarkable pattern of spaced-out, long linear walls running inland from, and parallel to, the rocky shore. The walls were built to protect the thousands of small, contiguous, rectangular plots (currais) from wind and seawater. Evidence of this viniculture, whose origins date back to the 15th century, is manifest in the extraordinary assembly of the fields, in houses and early 19th-century manor houses, in wine-cellars, churches and ports. The extraordinarily beautiful man-made landscape of the site is the best remaining area of a once much more widespread practice.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Background

Inscribed as a UNESCO site in 2004, the site covers an area of approximately 987 ha, and the surrounding buffer zone with 1,924 ha, extend through most of the island's western, northwestern and southwestern coasts, with the majority on the municipality of Madalena and the rest on São Roque do Pico, at the foothills of Mount Pico.

The landscape is characterized by an extensive network of long, spaced apart black basalt stone walls that run parallel to the coast and penetrate towards the interior of the island. These walls were erected to protect the vines from the wind and the salty sea spray, which are planted in thousands of small rectangular enclosures locally called currais.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q2448665 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

The site, extensively fortified from the 17 th to 19 th centuries, represents the largest bulwarked dry-ditch system in the world. Within its walls, the town contains barracks and other military buildings as well as churches and monasteries. While Elvas contains remains dating back to the 10th century ad, its fortification began when Portugal regained independence in 1640. The fortifications designed by Dutch Jesuit padre Cosmander represent the best surviving example of the Dutch school of fortifications anywhere. The site also contains the Amoreira aqueduct, built to enable the stronghold to withstand lengthy sieges.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Climate

Elvas has a hot summer mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa) with mild winters, although occasionally temperatures may drop below 0 °C (32 °F) and very hot, dry summers, where temperatures occasionally exceed 40 °C (104 °F). Elvas climate is quite similar to that of Badajoz, being slightly cooler and more humid due to its higher altitude and greater influence from the Atlantic Ocean. Precipitation varies from 500 to 600 mm (20 to 24 in) throughout the year, with an average of about 534 mm (21.0 in) annually. It is one of the hottest cities in Portugal during the summer, with an average maximum temperature close to 35 °C (95 °F).

History

Elvas lies on a hill 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) northwest of the Guadiana river. The Amoreira Aqueduct, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) long, supplies the city with clean water; it was begun early in the 15th century and completed in 1622. For some distance it includes four tiers of superimposed arches, with a total height of 40 metres (130 ft).

The city was wrested from the Moors by Afonso I of Portugal in 1166 but was temporarily recaptured before its final occupation by the Portuguese in 1226. In 1570 it became an episcopal see, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Elvas, until 1818. The late Gothic Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral, which has many traces of Moorish influence in its architecture, dates from the reign of Manuel I of Portugal (1495–1521).

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q243849 (CC0).

Visiting Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications

Elvas is a city of 23,000 people (2011) in the Alentejo region of Portugal. Elvas is among the finest examples of intensive usage of the trace italienne (star fort) in military architecture. The "Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications" is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Elvas (CC BY-SA 4.0).

UNESCO's Description

Located on the slopes of Mount Espinho, overlooking the city of Braga in the north of Portugal, this cultural landscape evokes Christian Jerusalem, recreating a sacred mount crowned with a church. The sanctuary was developed over a period of more than 600 years, primarily in a Baroque style, and illustrates a European tradition of creating Sacri Monti (sacred mountains), promoted by the Catholic Church at the Council of Trent in the 16th century, in reaction to the Protestant Reformation. The Bom Jesus ensemble is centred on a Via Crucis that leads up the western slope of the mount. It includes a series of chapels that house sculptures evoking the Passion of Christ, as well as fountains, allegorical sculptures and formal gardens. The Via Crucis culminates at the church, which was built between 1784 and 1811. The granite buildings have whitewashed plaster façades, framed by exposed stonework. The celebrated Stairway of the Five Senses, with its walls, steps, fountains, statues and other ornamental elements, is the most emblematic Baroque work within the property. They are framed by lush woodland and embraced by a picturesque park that, masterfully set on the rugged hill, highly contributes to the landscape value of the ensemble.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

Many hilltops in Portugal and other parts of Europe have been sites of religious devotion since antiquity, and it is possible that the Bom Jesus hill was one of these. However, the first indication of a chapel over the hill dates from 1373. This chapel - dedicated to the Holy Cross - was rebuilt in the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1629 a pilgrimage church was built dedicated to the Bom Jesus (Good Jesus), with six chapels dedicated to the Passion of Christ.

The present Sanctuary’s construction started in 1722, under the patronage of the Archbishop of Braga, Rodrigo de Moura Telles. His coat of arms is seen over the gateway, in the beginning of the stairway. Under his direction the first stairway row, with chapels dedicated to the Via Crucis, were completed.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q2707216 (CC0).