Alvito: Travel and tourism

Being a typically Manueline town, Alvito also boasts of an ancient and historical religious tradition confirmed by the number of churches (such as the 15th-century Mother Church, the Miserichord Church and the Chapel of Saint Sebastian) and by the richness of priestly vestments and ornaments.

But its most famous monument is undoubtedly the castle, dating from the end of the 15th century and which was once the residence of the Marquis of Alvito and frequently visited by kings. Although not a defensive construction, it is imponent and striking, with a vast courtyard, circular towers and a massive keep. Presently, it is being used as a pousada.

The town's streets, lined with modest looking white-washed houses, are often embellished by beautiful and delicately carved stone portals from the 16th and 17th centuries.

At the curiously-named village of Água dos Peixes (water of fishes), a 15th-century manor-house in Manueline and Mudejar style, standing in an estate with ponds and gardens, is worth admiring, as well as the churches and pillory of Vila Nova da Baronia.

The county of Alvito, although lodging a small leather industry and an oil production unit, remains essentially agricultural, and its climate, different from the rest of Alentejo, as well as the abundance of water, favours the growth of fruits (namely grapes, but also oranges, apples and strawberries) and vegetables.

In gastronomical terms, it offers two sweet specialities: honey cakes and puff-pastry cakes.