Walls of Elvas

Category: Military Architecture > Walls

District: Portalegre > Elvas > Elvas > Centro Histórico

Location

The Walls of Elvas encompass the heart of its Historic Centre, outlining the city's contours and integrating inseparably into the urban landscape. Their strategic position, atop an elevation, allows them to stand out and define the silhouette of Elvas, offering views over the city and the vast Alentejo plain that surrounds it.

History and Evolution

The history of the Walls of Elvas is long and complex, with traces dating back to the Islamic presence in the 9th and 10th centuries, when the first rammed earth defenses began to shape the urban perimeter. After the Christian reconquest in the 13th century, these structures were reinforced. However, it was after the Restoration of Portuguese Independence in 1640 that Elvas transformed into a colossal fortress. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, under the direction of engineers such as the Dutch Jesuit Father João Piscásio Cosmander, the bastioned defensive system we know today was built.

The Bastioned System

The Walls of Elvas represent the largest system of bastioned fortifications in the world. With an approximate area of 300 hectares and a perimeter that can reach ten kilometres, this work of military engineering is a unique testament to how border defense was conceived and executed over centuries. The complexity of its layout, with bastions, moats, and ravelins, reflects the adaptation to the new artillery techniques of the time. Its exceptional value earned Elvas recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site, highlighting its global importance as an example of military architecture.

A Walk Along the Wall

A walk along the Walls of Elvas is an experience that offers a unique perspective on the city and its history. It allows one to observe the impressiveness and detail of the construction, from its oldest walls to the large bastioned structures. Along the perimeter, it is possible to contemplate the surrounding landscape and imagine the life and battles that took place here. Walking on these defenses is to feel the robustness of the past and appreciate their harmonious integration with the present of Elvas.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt