Attractions and Places To See around Viana Do Alentejo - 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.

Located within the Paço dos Henriques complex, the Chapel of Our Lady of the Conception and the Shell Garden are, for me, the main reason to visit this place. Initially dedicated to Saint Jerome, the Chapel of Our Lady of the Conception was rebuilt in the 17th century, entirely covered in shells. In total, there are about 26 species of shells, creating an extraordinary visual effect. In the past, there was also a water circuit that started at the well and followed the aqueduct to the tank. A true ode to the sea in the Alentejo interior.

Alcáçovas is a Portuguese town and seat of the parish of Alcáçovas in the municipality of Viana do Alentejo. The parish has an area of 268.13 km² and 1931 inhabitants (2021 census), giving it a population density of 7.2 inhabitants/km². It was a town and seat of a municipality between 1258 and 1836. This municipality consisted only of the parish of the seat and had 1613 inhabitants in 1801. It was the site of the signing of the Treaty of Alcáçovas-Toledo on September 4, 1479. The art of cowbell making has existed in the town of Alcáçovas since time immemorial.

Place where the Peace Treaty of Alcáçovas was signed in 1479, between the kingdom of Portugal and the kingdom of Castile.

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.

Garden and Chapel of Shells. The Chapel of Shells or Chapel of Our Lady of the Conception is a chapel located in the historic town of Alcáçovas, in Portugal. Built in the 17th and 18th centuries, it has the unique feature of having a façade and altar decorated with shells. The shells, which give the chapel its name, also adorn the adjacent garden, which can be entered through a tower with an interior covered in shells and shards of old porcelain. One of the walls of the chapel, in the garden area, is completely covered with an unusual panel of colourful designs made with shells.

Paço dos Henriques (Henriques’s Palace), which is now owned by the Portuguese State and has been classified as a Building of Public Interest since 1993, belonged to the last lords of the town of Alcáçovas. According to tradition and local belief, this was once a royal palace, Ordered to be built by the Portuguese king Dom Dinis. This is a Place of Peace because it was there that took place the signature of the Alcáçovas-Toledo Treaty (also known as Alcáçovas’s Peace), that ended the Sucession War of Castile (1475-1479), where Afonso V of Portugal renounced the throne of Castile and King Fernando of Castile renounced the throne of Portugal. This Treaty also solved some issues related with the “new lands” discovered in the Atlantic Ocean, dividing them formally between Portugal and Castile. This explains the reason why this building is so important and emblematic, not only for Alcáçovas’ history, but for Portugal and the rest of the world.