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hour, plus time visiting sights. If it's going to be a hot day, try to go early in the morning
(the cathedral opens at 9:00).
Background: Named a World Heritage Site in 1986, the city has strictly preserved the
old center. It works hard to be people-friendly and inviting. The charming colors you see
are traditional in Alentejo: Yellow trim is believed to repel evil spirits, and blue actually
does keep away flies. Monster garbage cans hide under elegant smaller ones; at night,
trucks lift entire hunks of sidewalk to empty them. Jacaranda trees—imported from Brazil
200 years ago—provide shade through the summer and purple flowers in the spring.
From Romans to Moors to Portuguese kings, this little town has a big history. Évora
was once a Roman town (second century B.C. to fourth century A.D. ), important because
of its wealth of wheat and silver, as well as its location on a trade route to Rome. We'll
see Roman sights, though most of Évora's Roman past is buried under the houses and
hotels of today (often uncovered by accident when plumbing work needs to be done in
basements).
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