Category: Civil Architecture > Museum
District: Portalegre > Elvas > Elvas > Centro Histórico
The Portas da Esquina are located in the Historic Centre of Elvas, a city renowned for its fortified heritage. Its position is integrated into the old urban fabric, revealing how the city grew within its walls. Access to this gate is frequently via a street with some inclination, characteristic of the relief of the area where it is integrated.
It is positioned in the immediate vicinity of one of the major constructive elements that mark the landscape of Elvas, integrating itself into the surrounding environment of the city's defensive system.
This gate is an integral part of Elvas' impressive bastioned wall, a defensive system erected during the Portuguese Restoration period. Its construction is considered a remarkable work of military engineering, with its design attributed to the Dutch mathematician Jan Ciermans, also known as João Cosmander.
The Portas da Esquina exemplify the robustness and strategic intelligence that characterize Elvas' fortifications, bearing witness to the mastery in the construction of these unique defensive structures.
At the end of the 17th century, a distinctive element was added above the Portas da Esquina: the Ermida de Nossa Senhora da Conceição. This small chapel, built in Renaissance style, gives an architectural distinctiveness to the ensemble, setting it apart from other gates in the city.
Due to the presence of this hermitage, the gate is also known by the designation of Porta da Conceição, reflecting the intimate link between the defensive structure and the religious building that crowns it.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.8803403,-7.1685409
Coordinates DMS: 38°52'49.2"N 07°10'6.7"W
Weather Elvas
On-duty Pharmacy Elvas
