Built on a hill, the city of Beja dominates the surrounding plain. Objects found during excavations suggest the existence of an original settlement during the Iron Age. It was however during the Roman era that Beja gained recognition. It was there that Julius Caesar made peace with the Lusitanians in the mid-1st century BC, naming the town Pax Julia. Finds in the urban centre and in the ruins of the Roman villa in Pisões on the outskirts of the city show the importance and grandeur of its way of life at the time. But these are not the only testimonies of the past.
After the Muslim invasions, the city lost much of its administrative and religious importance. The reconquest itself in the early 12th century led to the destruction of much of the city and its walls, which led Afonso III to order its reconstruction and repopulation. It was then that the first royal Dukes of Beja settled in the city, starting a new stage in its development. They founded the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Conceição and built the Mudejar-inspired Palácio dos Infantes.
Constroem-se numerosos conventos e palácios dando lugar a uma nova Beja, movimento que teve o seu momento áureo com D. Manuel I responsável pela edificação do primeiro Convento-Hospital. D. Luis III que se lhe seguiu teve ainda um papel dinamizador com a construção da Igreja da Misericórdia, após o que se fechou este ciclo de progresso.
Numerous convents and palaces were built, creating a new city, a movement that was at its peak during the reign of Manuel I, who was responsible for building the first Convent-Hospital. The next king, João III, also had a leading role in the construction of the Misericórdia Church, after which this cycle of progress came to an end.
In the late 19th century, this forgotten city became the target of a new avant-garde vision. Under the pretext of modernising the city, several buildings of historic and religious interest were destroyed. Despite these decisions having led to irrecuperable losses, Beja today is an enchanting city waiting to be explored. Cobbled streets and whitewashed houses with grey or yellow painted details offer the ideal setting for a walk.
PLACES TO VISIT
Castle
Over the years the castle has been enlarged and restored. It was originally built on the orders of Afonso III, while the Keep was built by King Dinis. Built in marble, the Keep is considered one of the finest examples of military architecture in Portugal.
Roman Arch
The Roman arch still visible today recalls the Roman origins of the fortifications. The Roman arch or Portas de Évora, as it is also known, is a unique example of the model of geometrically organised urban space. This model was based on the intersection of two East-West and North-South roads. Portas de Évora were part of the East-West axis.
Convent of Nossa Senhora da Conceição and Rainha D. Leonor Regional Museum
Of the original building where the nun Mariana Alcoforado of the “Portuguese Letters” lived, only the church, cloister, chapter house and adjacent rooms have survived. The convent is rich in architectural and cultural terms, with magnificent gilt carvings and stucco, panels of 16th-century tiles and murals.
The Chapter House merits a special mention. The magnificent painting in the dome is complemented by exceptional tiles on the walls, a combination that makes it one of the most important examples of Baroque art in the Alentejo.
Pillory
The original was dated from the 16th century and was built on the orders of Manuel I. The current pillory is in the same style and includes the emblems of the king and an armillary sphere and cross of Christ in iron.