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Famous for its creamy cheeses, Serpa is a sleepy agricultural
hilltop town of white houses located in the south-eastern corner
of the Alentejo. Situated just 30 km from the Spanish border,
it is an excellent base from which to explore the lower eastern
side of Portugal, as well as neighbouring parts of Spain. The
town itself, which is walled, was founded in 400 BC by the Turdelos,
one of the original peoples of Iberia. Known to the Romans by
the same name, Serpa was later conquered by Geraldo Sem-Pavor
in 1166, taken again by the Moors and finally regained in 1232.
The town bravely resisted subsequent attacks over the centuries
until a brief Spanish occupation occurred in 1707-8. Visitors
to Serpa are sometimes serenaded by the town's traditional singers,
who are genuine descendants of medieval troubadours. What to
see. Built in 1463, the convent church of Santo António is worth
seeing for its small cloister and flamboyant 18th-century azulejo
glazed-tile panels depicting the life of St Francis. Of Moorish
origin, Serpa's castle was rebuilt by King Dinis in the late
13th century, but badly damaged during the Spanish invasion
in 1707. Inside, the archaeological museum is full of Paleolithic,
Neolithic, Roman and Moorish artefacts. Built into the town
walls, the palace of the Counts of Ficalho is supplied water
by a tall, slender aqueduct and chain pump. Nearby. Beja, just
8 km west of Serpa, boasts a magnificent 15th century convent
and an ancient castle. A Roman capital under the name of Pax
Julia, it was where the peace treaty with the native Lusitanians
was signed. To the south lies the pretty whitewashed town of
Mértola, with its imposing hilltop castle and unique Moorish-style
church. |
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