Évora

Our first stop in Portugal was Évora, perfectly situated about 3 hours from Palos de la Frontera. Our main point of interest was the Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones).

Built in late 16th century, the Capella dos Ossos was Évora’s answer to the overcrowding in the cemeteries. The monks used the bones 5000 bodies to decorate the inside of the chapel.

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The monks wanted to make a “helpful place to meditate on the undeniable presence of death.” This is made clear by the message above the chapel door: “Nós ossos que aqui estamos, pelos vossos esperamos,” or: “We bones, are here, waiting for yours.”

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Even though these bones were very beautifully arranged, we found the bones in the Paris catacomb more impressive (probably because we walked deep underground through dark, narrow passageways lined with bones).

The Capela dos Ossos is actually just a small chapel to the side of the larger San Francisco Cathedral.

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One of the other popular landmarks in Évora is the Agua de Prata Aqueduct, a Roman aqueduct built in the first century.

The town has done an impressive job of building itself around the aqueduct.

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We were lucky to get to stay in a house built into one of the arches of the aqueduct.

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We had a fun time walking through town to get some wiggles out.

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Then we were back in the car and on our way to Sintra!