A land called Alentejo
A photographic tale of Portuguese region of Alentejo
José Saramago describes Alentejo as a dusty, hard and hungry land in a rural Portugal that, at the beginning of the 20th century, is extremely poor and desperate. A far away island with colonialist aspirations and where the most used term is “Latifundium”.
That Saramago’s Alentejo, fortunately, is nowadays a vague memory. In fact, this region is having a remarkable agro-economic and tourist development…but the landscape has remained partly untouched.
An amazing place that can not miss among stages of a trip to Portugal.
Rural landscapes that are repeated almost endlessly in often minimalist patterns that have a great photographic appeal. Moreover, the small towns that stand out on the horizon with their medieval walls and the white colour of their houses, give the idea of a place where space and time have a different size.
Praise for slowness
TIME
Time perception in Alentejo has remained as it was years ago.
The word rush doesn’t exist and calm has remained a virtue. Although around the world runs fast, the Alentejano people does not give up his days spent on a bench or in front of the door trying to enjoy the moments, the air, to rest from the work in fields and chat about the people who pass in front of them.
We could also learn to do it from time to time, I think it wouldn’t hurt us.
Often with a carefree mood, often with a feeling of tiredness or defeat.
An air that can be breathed in many rural inland areas of the Mediterranean.
Herds of tourists begin to fill streets and crossroads of villages and towns, but this doesn’t seem (for the moment) to be affecting their temper fortunately.
Alentejo landscape
SPACE
Alentejo is one of the driest regions in Europe. And when it’s very hot… you can feel it. This, of course, has led to the growth of typical mediterranean vegetation, which man has managed and shaped in his favour.
Huge plateaus in which sometimes appears some small towns dressed in white and that stand out within a landscape dominated by two main colors: yellow of summer and green of remaining months. Against this monochrome background, evergreen oaks stand out, with variable densities, which, from afar, seem to create lowland forests. But here, not even a trace of forest. What remains, in fact, is a rural dotted landscape; where dots are these oaks, survived the cuts of the past [the Alentejano land is almost all private so the forest management has been historically different from the Italian one] in order to provide shade and acorns to livestock (especially cattle).
There are two types of evergreen oaks. One is the holm oak (azinheira) and the other is the symbol of Portugal, the cork oak (sobreiro) which, with brick red of its trunk stripped of its famous bark, breaks colours monotony.
Here’s the Montado, the silvo-pastoral landscape of Alentejo. Hectares and hectares of wooded pastures that are lost on the horizon. A minimal, harsh and difficult landscape, but one that brings with it centuries of Portuguese rural tradition.
But Alentejo agriculture is not only made up of pastures. The olive oil, but above all the wines, have strong and definite flavours. I suggest you try some Portuguese wine … not only Italy and France can produce delicious wines apparently. But be careful with the quantities!!
Evora
As I wrote before, here and there within this rural pattern, there are hilly areas dominated by ancient fortified cities. The most famous is certainly Évora, where I was lucky enough to live for a few months.
Layers of Roman and medieval history overlap and exchange here and there within the huge UNESCO World Heritage Site [considered a museum city since 1986]. It is not difficult to find, inside the basements of houses, old structures of the Roman Empire which had its own important centre here (Liberalitas Julia). Houses with white lime (typical of many “hot” Mediterranean areas) to fight the summer heat and the Arabic references given by the colors blue or ochre, make the historic center of Evora a small jewel. Abandoned corners are joined to reconstructed areas giving this town a mix of romantic and decadent atmosphere.
Daedalus of small streets intertwine in a radial pattern and all converge in the two main points of the city: the first is Praça do Giraldo, a bit baroque and a bit Art Nouveau but of considerable elegance. The second core of Evora is represented by its highest point, on which two religious symbols, one pagan and one christian, are “challenged”. In fact, a few tens of meters from each other you can find the Roman temple dedicated to Diana and the cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta (in typical Manueline Portuguese style ). Two perfectly preserved and fascinating artworks.
There are so many things to tell about Evora (the azulejos, Capela dos Ossos, the Lusitanian Stonehenge, the second oldest university in Portugal, the cats, the peacocks, the clothes laid, chicken (frango) of Porta d’Aviz etc…) but I’ll let the images speak for themselves.
OTHER ALENEJANE TOWNS
I’ve written too much already, so another part of the Alentejo I’ll only tell you with photos…
EVORAMONTE
ESTREMOZ
VILLA VICOSA
MONSARAZ
ELVAS
MARVAO
SOUTH EST of ALENTEJO
Ah, I forgot….
The Alentejo isn’t only a destination for tourists who love places of ancient charm… if you continue southeast towards the Algarve, you can admire some fantastic and unknown ocean views. And even take a bath if the cold waters do not scare you!!
