Page 316 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Portugal

A DRIVING TOUR
MEGALITHS

TOUR

EXPERIENCE Alentejo Length 80 km (50 miles) Stopping-off points Évora;
Grutas do Escoural Terrain Access roads to the sites are
often no more than tracks, and signposting can be erratic
Archaeologists date the pedras talhas, hewn stones, near Évora to
between 4000 and 2000 BC. Their symbolism remains mysterious.
Dolmens are thought to be where Neo lithic communities buried
Standing at 2.5 m (8 ft)
their dead, together with their possessions – more than 130 have
tall, the solitary stone
been found in the region. Tall phallic menhirs jutting from olive Menhir of Almendres
groves immediately suggest fertility rites, while cromlechs – carved is located away from
stones standing in regulated groups – probably had religious the cromlech, in an
significance. This tour includes examples of each; more can be found olive grove behind a
further east, near Monsaraz and Reguengos de Monsaraz, and the row of tall storage bins.
museum in Castelo de Vide (p303) has finds related to the area. Moguizo Moguizo
382 m
382 m
The oval Cromlech of Almendres, Cortiçadas Cortiçadas São Matias
made up of 95 elliptical stones, is São Matias
believed to have been a temple São Bento de Catris
São Bento de Catris
dedicated to a solar cult. The São Sebastião
São Sebastião
route to the cromlech is da Giesteira Alto de Alto de São São
da Giesteira
End your drive at the sign-posted from the N114. São Bento Mamede Mamede
368 m São Bento
Grutas do Escoural Moguizo 368 m
382 m
caves, which contain Nossa Senhora Malagueira Malagueira
Nossa Senhora
paintings that are de Guadalupe Évora Évora
15–20,000 years old. Menhir of de Guadalupe
Cortiçadas Almendres Menhir of São Matias Espadas Espadas Horta das Horta das
Nossa Senhora Almendres Figueiras Figueiras
Freguises Freguises da Boa Fé Nossa Senhora
Cromlech of
Monte Furado da Boa Fé Cromlech of São Bento de Catris
439 m Monte Furado São Sebastião Almendres
439 m Casas Novas da Giesteira Almendres Alto de São
FINISH Casas Novas São Bento Mamede
Foros da Carvalha 368 m
Santiago do Foros da Carvalha
Santiago do
Escoural Grutas do Dolmen of Zambujeiro
Dolmen of Zambujeiro
Escoural Escoural Grutas do Nossa Senhora Malagueira
Escoural de Guadalupe Évora
Valverde
Menhir of Valverde Espadas Horta das
São Brissos Almendres
São Brissos Figueiras
Nossa Senhora
Pomarinho
Freguises da Boa Fé Pomarinho
Beyond the hamlet, the Monte Furado Cromlech of
tiny Dolmen-chapel of Dolmen-chapel 439 m Nogueirinha Almendres
Dolmen-chapel
Nogueirinha
São Brissos has been of São Brissos Casas Novas
of São Brissos
created from an anta or Santiago do Foros da Carvalha Albufeira da Albufeira da
barragem de
dolmen. Another is to be Escoural Grutas do Nossa Senhora Dolmen of Zambujeiro
barragem de
Nossa Senhora
found at Pavia. Escoural da Tourega da Tourega
Valverde
São Brissos
Pomarinho
Nossa Senhora
Nossa Senhora
0 kilometres 2 2 N da Tourega
0 kilometres
Dolmen-chapel Nogueirinha N da Tourega
of São Brissos 0 miles 0 miles 2 2
Albufeira da
barragem de
Nossa Senhora
da Tourega
Nossa Senhora
0 kilometres 2 N da Tourega
0 miles 2
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