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Beja
The City

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In some places, like Beja, history reaches back to the roman times, when it became a regional capital under Julius Caesar. Moorish arquitecture is visible in the cobbled streets and houses of the old town, and a castle from the 13th century reminds us of the struggle to keep the enemies them at bay. The castle overlooks the immense flat area of Alentejo one of the most important agricultural regions of Portugal. Beja is the capital of this beautiful and unspoiled region.

Visiting the City of Beja

The Castle
While resting on Roman fortifications, the castle was rebuilt by king Dinis in 1310. During the 16th century, certain improvements were carried out resulting in the Manueline features that can be seen, for example, in the twinned tower windows that look out onto the Praça de Armas, the entrance to the castle. The most significant aspect of the castle is the imposing Torre de Menagem (donjon), now the symbol of the city of Beja, with its battlements and narrow walkway running around the tower. Inside, there are three floors featuring ogival doors and worked vaults. The upper floor is reached by a 183º spiral staircase. At the top, there is one of the best views over the city and the surrounding region.

Sé Cathedral
The Sé de Beja remains open all day to the faithful and visitors, but its sober appearance, dimmed by the grandeur of the castle´s fortified walls which rise next to it, doesn´t let anyone guess the rich decoration that lies, protected, within its calm interior.
Church of Santo Amaro
The original Church of Santo Amaro (Saint Amaro) dates back to the end of the 5th century, the time when the Visigoths were settling the region. It is a fine example of Paleo-Christian architecture in Portugal and the main reason for it becoming home to the Beja Regional Museum´s Visigoth exhibition. This valuable collection was put together by various archaeologists of whom Abel Viana arguably takes the highest profile. The museum includes pieces from the 5th to the 8th century and highlights the changes in architecture and taste that took place during the transition from Roman to Visigoth domination. The basilica underwent various changes in the 16th and 17th centuries, hence the interesting gothic and Mannerist features it now displays. Through to the 14th century, Saint Amaro day, 15th January, was popularly celebrated with cakes and sweet dishes in the shape of arms and legs in a call for the saint´s protection from diseases in these limbs.

 

Saint Francis Convent
The Chapel of Tombs has been well preserved and its architecture is of the Gothic style. Of rectangular shape, it displays a semi-cicular vault and an enormous window forming a pointed arch divided in the middle.
The convent has been adapted to become a pousada (inn run by the state), giving visitors the pleasure of staying in an historical and mystical place.

St. Andrew´s Capel
The chapel has only one nave with a semi-circular vault and arches. The walls of the main chapel are entirely decorated with 16th-century tiles, and at the altarpiece a colourful fresco exhibits two angels guarding the national coat of arms. Other motives of interest are the Mannerist wood retable and the paintings portraying St. Andrew and the Carvary.
St. Mary of the Market Church
Near the Museum Rainha Dona Leonor Its origins date from the Visigothic period (7th century), and it was possibly transformed into a mosque during the Arab occupation, in the 8th century. The actual construction was built in the 13th century, having been later submitted to alterations. The exterior architecture is simple, with a 16th-century porch worth admiring, and the two bell-towers, containg two clocks from different periods, are the oldest elements. Inside there are three naves separated by thick cylindrical columns, slightly bent. The central chapel to the right exhibits the Árvore de Jessé, an elaborate work in carved wood

Rainha D. Leonor Regional Museum
Founded in 1927, the Rainha D. Leonor (Queen Leonor) Regional Museum is located in both the Convent of Conceição (Conception), home to its main collection, and the Church of Santo Amaro (Saint Amaro), where the Visigoth exhibits are on display. The main collection includes the Roman room featuring pieces found locally that date back to time of Julius Cesar and medieval epigraphy and heraldry including various tombstones and coats of arms. On the second floor of the cloisters, there is the collection that archaeologist Fernando Nunes Ribeiro donated to the city. It covers the entire span of history from the Bronze age through to modern times.
 
Pizões
Leaving Beja on the road to Faro, and turning to the right about 4 miles, you have to cross the railway line; less than 2 miles away you will find indications of how to find the site. The luxurious Roman Villa was probably parte of a farming estate from the I to the IV centuries, surely belonging to an importante landlord. The ruins still allow visitors to admire the series of rooms of the villa, including the bathhouses, with an elaborate system for heating the pools
Swimming Pool & Tennis Courts


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The City
Beja