Castro Verde

Castro Verde is a rural town that was inhabited since pre-historic and Roman times. To get an impression of the town, just take some time and walk from the church past the town hall and to the "Rotunda Das Ovelhas" (rotunda = roundabout), where you will see very realistic sheep statues "grazing".

The Mother Church , which equally exhibits rich golden woodwork and precious objects of religious art, is also known as Royal Basilica. Other churches and chapels are worth visiting, as well as the traditional windmill at the main square, recently restored, and the new Museu da Lucerna (Lamp Museum), displaying an important and diversified collection of Roman oil-lamps from the 1st century AD that were discovered in 1994 at the village of Santa Bárbara dos Padrões.

In the region sheep breeding and grazing are the main agricultural activities. Castro Verde lies near the site where the legendary Battle of Ourique was fought, in 1139, when Afonso Henriques defeated the Moors and declared himself the first king of Portugal. The battle is recalled by the 18th-century tiles that decorate the Mother Church.

Facts - Sights - History - Gallery - Map - Restaurants

Facts:

Region:	Alentejo
Sub-region:	Baixo Alentejo
District:	Beja
Inhabitants (2001):	4.800 (City); 7 603 (District)
Parishes (5):	Casével, Castro Verde, Entradas, Santa Bárbara de Padrões, São Marcos da Ataboeira
Area:	567,31 km²
Coordinates:	37º41'N 8º05'W
Municipality:	Câmara Municipal de Castro Verde, Praça do Municipio, 7780-217 Castro Verde

Sights:

Royal Basilica: Built on the site of an ancient temple, the Mother Church of Castro Verde (or Basilica Real) was submitted to alterations during the 16th century, and its actual apperance dates from the reign of D. ... [ more ]
Misericord Church: Of small dimensions, it stands at the oldest part of the town, near the Santa Casa da Misericórdia. Due to its modest white façade, the visitor would almost ignore the church if it wasn´t for the tal... [ more ]
Mother Church of Casével: Its construction dates from the 14th century, but it was rebuilt during the 16th century. The Igreja Matriz de Casével now stands isolated at a prominent site of the village. Of Baroque style, it exh... [ more ]
Mother Church of Entradas: At the Praça da Liberdade (former Largo da Igreja) of Entradas, about 6 miles North of Castro Verde, stands the Mother Church of the village, built on a slope. Of rectangular shape, it has tall white... [ more ]
Mother Church of Padrões: It is at the parish of Padrões, about nine miles away from Castro Verde, that the Church of Saint Barbara stands, full of historical and ancient references. It is the Mother Church of the parish and ... [ more ]
Mother Church of São Marcos da Ataboeira: It is on the road to Mértola, through the Estrada Nacional 123, that one can find the parish of São Marcos da Ataboeira and its beautiful Mother Church. At the center of the village and standing in a... [ more ]
Nossa Senhora dos Remédios Church: Also known as the Igreja das Chagas do Salvador (the "Saviour´s Wounds Church"), it is thought that this church was founded by the first Portuguese king, D. Afonso Henriques, but its actual architect... [ more ]
Other Churches of Entradas: While visiting the parish, it is worth admiring, besides the Mother Church, the 17th and 18th-century Miserichord Church. With a wooden ceiling and a vault exhibiting Hispanic-Arab tiles, it has fine... [ more ]
Our Lady of Aracelis Chapel: The name means "Heavenly Altar". The Ermida de Nossa Senhora de Aracelis was once a place of pilgrimage, and the gleam of its perfectly white-washed walls enhance the façades set in a dazzling natura... [ more ]
St. Michael Chapel: At the parish of Casével, close to the Gregórios hills, the small Ermida de São Miguel was built where an ancient temple used to stand. Once a place of pilgrimage, it includes lodgings for travellers... [ more ]
St. Peter of the Heads Chapel: The Ermida de São Pedro das Cabeças stands near Castro Verde, at the site where the historical Battle of Ourique, is supposed to have been fought, when king Afonso Henriques defeated the armies of fi... [ more ]
St. Sebastian Chapel: Built at the site where every year, on the 20th of January, the St. Sebastian fair is held, its origin dates from the 17th and 18th centuries. Small and humble, the Ermida de São Sebastião is another... [ more ]
St. Sebastian Chapel of Almeirim: At the parish of Casével, less than four miles from Almeirim, the Ermida de São Sebastião is very similar to its namesake of Castro Verde. It was built on the hill of Bicadas, in a vast and isolated ... [ more ]