Estremoz must have one of the most beautiful town hall buildings in all of Portugal. Although the Convento dos Congregados, Nossa Senhora da Conceição of the Congregates of the Oratory of São Filipe Nery de Estremoz, to give it its full name, has a rather unusual history in that it took 300 years to build!
So while the whole of Portugal prepared to go into lockdown, we decided to spend our last day of freedom by seeking out a trail and walking in the Estremoz countryside.
We were surprised to discover that it is actually quite difficult to find good places for Walking in Estremoz, as much of the land around the town is privately owned and therefore fenced off with no public footpaths or right-of-way trails. And when we asked at the Estremoz Tourist Office for information on any local walks – there was none available.
We arrived in Portugal mid-COVID in September 2020, when the borders were open and it was safe to make the move, and one of the first things we did was to register for Portuguese residency at the Estremoz town hall.
The Camara (town hall) is a beautiful building set at the top of the main Rossio square, and we presented ourselves at reception armed with our passports, NIFs and the deeds (escritura) of the property we purchased.
The typical Alentejo country town of Sousel actually falls under the district of Portalegre and is located 17km from Estremoz, reached by following the winding N245 road northwards. There is nothing very remarkable about the town itself but it does have a great miradouro or viewing point from which to survey the surrounding countryside.
According to a report from CNN, those interested in stargazing in the Alentejo may be in for a treat this Christmas as the planets of Jupiter and Saturn will appear to be almost touching—something that hasn’t occurred since the year 1226!
The two planets, the largest in our solar system, will best be visible on the night of the winter solstice – December 21 – when they should look like a ‘double planet’, and the closer you live to the Equator the better you will see them.
As our first Christmas in Estremoz approaches, and because of Covid-19 it is under very strange circumstances, we are pleased to see that there will be some festive cellebrations still taking place.
One of these is the 14th Exhibition of Nativity Scenes (XIV Exposição de Presépios de Estremoz) that showcases works by local artisans and is open to the public at Galeria D. Dinis from December 5 2020.
Having worked in insurance in a past life, I am well aware of how important it is to have a good home insurance in place, especially if your property in Portugal is used as a second home and may be empty for long periods of time, so insuring your home in Estremoz is a priority.
It is no secret that Portugal’s Alentejo is full of historic places that in some cases date back to Neolithic times. It is a land that encompasses many secrets of humanity and this is what makes it such an important part of Portugal’s cultural heritage.
Our pets are our family, we all love them, want to make sure that they are healthy and feeling good. It’s always a worry when you can tell they’re not feeling well and finding a good vet can be tricky—and of course, we want only the best for our furry friends. Being cat owners ourselves, we know how important it is to have a person that you can trust and call on in an emergency, so decided to do a little research on the vets in Estremoz.
Ever come across the sign for Howard’s Folly while driving through the industrial estate in Estremoz and wondered what the castle-like building is all about? Read on to find out more about Estemoz’ very own ‘urban winery’:
Words: Iain Blackwell
Photography: Courtesy of Howard’s Folly
Article originally published in Essential Marbella Magazine
The Winery
Founded in 2002, when Howard Bilton, a Hong Kong based entrepreneur and wine aficionado originally from Yorkshire, combined forces with David Baverstock, an Australian pioneer of modern winemaking who has revolutionised wine in Portugal by bringing the new world science to the old world wine industry. David is the only non-Portuguese national who has been awarded Winemaker of the Year, on three occasions, and he was recently created a Comendador (a style of knighthood) for his services to the agricultural industry. Howard, meanwhile, always had a soft spot for Portuguese wines and particularly those from the Alentejo region, and Howard’s Folly is the realisation of a long-cherished dream, with the main vineyard located in Portalegre in the heart of the Alentejo landscape. From here, several varietals are gathered and blended with grapes from local farmers to produce their alluring wines, most of this being accomplished at a state-of-the-art urban winery at Estremoz, a facility that is open to visitors for tours and tastings, with a wine shop and fine dining restaurant.