Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Settlements have existed on the site of Beja since the Iron Age. Vestiges of this period
have been discovered as recently as the 1990s, and some of these finds are proudly dis-
played in the town's archaeological museum. During Roman and Muslim times, Beja was
considered an important administrative centre (locals will stress that this role was wrongly
attributed to Évora alone). The Romans called the city Pax Julia (shortened to Pax, which
then became Paca, Baca, Baju and finally Beja), after Julius Caesar restored peace
between the Romans and rebellious Lusitanians. It became an important agricultural
centre, booming on wheat and oil.
Little evidence remains of the 400 years of subsequent Moorish rule, except for some
distinctive 16th-century
azulejos
in the Convento de Nossa Senhora da Conceição (now
the Museu Regional). The town was recaptured from the Moors in 1162.
