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Photographer’s Note

EVORA
Roughly 150 km south east of Lisbon, Evora stands out quite distinctly on the vast horizon of the Alentejo plain, on the top of a gentle hill, dominated by its imposing cathedral. Its historical centre, protected by a vast ring of fortified walls, is typical of ''golden age'' cities, with its urban landscape exhibiting features from the architecture of countries in other continents where Portugal established a presence, particularly Brazil.
The city has more than two millennia of history, its narrow streets evoking memories of the Moorish presence, in sharp contrast to its squares, which are flooded with sunlight. Definitively conquered by the Romans in 59 BC, it took the name of “Liberalitas Julia”. Dating from this time is its first city hall, which established its original perimeter.
Under the occupation of the Romans, Evora gained great importance as a city, a fact which is clearly borne out by the various remains from that period that are still visible today, particularly the ruins of a most elegant temple from the end of the second century AD, various sections of wall and the gate known as the Porta de Dona Isabel, as well as the ruins of the city's Roman baths under the present-day Town Hall.
There are very few remains left from the Visigothic period (between the fifth and the eighth century). After this came the period of Moorish domination, beginning with the conquest of the city by Tarik, which lasted until the Christian reconquest in the twelfth century. Yeborah, as the city became known, perfected its early defensive system and indelibly established traces of the Moorish influence in its toponymy, clearly visible in the Moorish quarter.
After the Christian reconquest, a new urban sprawl began to spread out from the city's gates and beyond the old wall. The city was chosen by several kings of Portugal in the first and second dynasties to serve as the headquarters for their court, and it was greatly enriched with palaces and monuments, especially in the reigns of D. Joao II and D. Manuel I (fifteenth and sixteenth centuries).

http://www.manorhouses.com

Nikon D40X
2008/09/18 15:30:22.4
Compressed RAW (12-bit)
Image Size: Large (3872 x 2592)
Color
Lens: 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 G
Focal Length: 18mm
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/13 sec - F/16
Exposure Comp.: 0 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Optimize Image: Custom
White Balance: Preset
AF Mode: AF-S
Color Mode: Mode IIIa (sRGB)
Tone Comp.: More Contrast
Hue Adjustment: +3°
Saturation: Enhanced
Sharpening: High
Long Exposure NR: Off
VR Control: Off
High ISO NR: Off

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Additional Photos by Goncalo Lopes (Bluejeans) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5528 W: 109 N: 7466] (33113)
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