Walking Around the Amazing Ancient Buildings in Portugal

Not only countries in Asia is exotic, but also Portugal, the country where is westernmost in Europe. Portugal has many of attractive places that make the people from the entire of the world want to visit Portugal. Other than the culture, people know Portugal as the country that has many of amazing ancient buildings also.

Usually, the tour to Portugal and Spain is one package. Because Portugal is abut on Spain. In retrospect, Portugal was at enmity with Spain. In the past, both of the country is the roamer nation. Portugal and Spain make every endeavor to discover the treasure in all over the world. In the end, the border area between Portugal and Spain ruled by The Treaty of Tordesillas, in 7 June 1494.

The Treaty of Tordesillas divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between Spain and Portugal along a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands (off the west coast of Africa). This line of demarcation was about halfway between the Cape Verde Islands (already Portuguese) and the islands discovered by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage (claimed for Spain), named in the treaty as Cipangu and Antilia (Cuba and Hispaniola). The lands to the east would belong to Portugal and the lands to the west to Spain. The treaty was ratified by Spain (at the time, the Crowns of Castile and Aragon), 2 July 1494 and by Portugal, 5 September 1494. The other side of the world would be divided a few decades later by the Treaty of Zaragoza or Saragossa, signed on 22 April 1529, which specified the antimeridian to the line of demarcation specified in the Treaty of Tordesillas. Originals of both treaties are kept at “the Archivo General de Indias” in Spain and at the “Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo” in Portugal.

By following the history, Roman, Spain, and Moor had ever been of power in Portugal. Even the relics from Roman and Moor still stand-out in the entire of the city in Portugal. One of the treasures is situated in Evora, the old city that listed in UNESCO as the world heritage site. The city where situated about 130 kilometers from Lisboa, the Capital of Portugal. The city has many of historical monuments. One of the famous is Roman Temple of Evora, or called the Temple of Diana often. The temple built in 1st century after date. Now, the temple becomes an important icon in Evora.

Other than the temple, there is other ancient building like Monastery of Jeronimos. The monastery is situated not far from Tagus River. At first, the monastery is chapel. Chapel is the place for Catholic Priests and Kings to bless the sailors that would make a voyage passing through Tagus River.

And one of the Moor’s relics is Palace of the Counts of Basto. The palace is Moor’s castle that placed by the family of Afonsine Dynasty. The architecture style is Gothic, Moorish, and Renaissance.

Totally, there are about 4000 ancient buildings that we can found in Portugal. Begin at Palace, Church, Castle, University, Office and many of ancient buildings in Portugal showing the historical heritage site and cultural treasure in the past. Evora also get the predicate as the City Museum. All of that make people around the world visit Portugal to see and enjoy the exotic of Portugal.

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