Elvas, officially known as the City of Elvas, is a Portuguese municipality located in the district of Portalegre in the Alentejo region. It is the easternmost city in central Portugal and is positioned about 200 kilometers (120 miles) east of Lisbon and 8 kilometers (5 miles) west of the Spanish fortress of Badajoz. The city lies along the Madrid-Badajoz-Lisbon railway. As of 2011, the municipality had a population of 23,078 people across an area of 631.29 square kilometers (243.74 square miles). The city itself had a population of 16,640 people as of the same year.

Elvas is a notable example of the use of a specific type of military structure called the trace italienne, which is a star-shaped fort design. The city and its fortifications were designated a World Heritage Site on June 30, 2012. The official name of the site is "Garrison Border Town of Elvas and Its Fortifications."

History

Elvas is located on a hill 8 kilometers (5.0 miles) northwest of the Guadiana River. The Amoreira Aqueduct, which is 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long, provides the city with clean water. Construction began in the early 15th century and was completed in 1622. For part of its length, the aqueduct features four levels of arches stacked on top of each other, reaching a total height of 40 meters (130 feet).

The city was taken back from the Moors by Afonso I of Portugal in 1166, but it was briefly recaptured before the Portuguese finally occupied it in 1226. In 1570, Elvas became the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Elvas, a position it held until 1818. The late Gothic-style Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral, which shows influences from Moorish architecture, was built during the reign of Manuel I of Portugal (1495–1521).

Elvas was protected by seven bastions and two forts: Santa Luzia and Nossa Senhora da Graça. From 1642, it served as the main fortress south of the Tagus River. It resisted attacks by the Spanish in 1659, 1711, and 1801. The city was the site of the Battle of the Lines of Elvas in 1659, where the city’s defenders helped defeat a Spanish army. During the Peninsular War, French forces under Marshal Junot captured Elvas in March 1808 but left in August after the Convention of Sintra.

Fifteen kilometers (9.3 miles) northeast of Elvas is the fortress of Campo Maior. It is known for a Napoleonic-era siege by the French and its rescue by British forces led by Marshal Beresford in 1811. This event is remembered in a ballad written by Sir Walter Scott.

UNESCO site

The Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2012.

This site has strong defenses built between the 17th and 19th centuries. It is the largest example of a dry ditch system with walls designed to protect a town. Inside the walls, the town includes buildings used by soldiers, churches, and monasteries. Although some parts of Elvas date back to the 10th century, the major fortifications were built during the Portuguese Restoration War. These defenses were important during the Battle of the Lines of Elvas in 1659. The fortifications were created by a Dutch Jesuit priest named Padre João Piscásio Cosmander and are the best example of Dutch-style forts still standing today. The site includes the following:

• Amoreira Aqueduct, built to last during long sieges.
• Historic Centre
• Fort of Santa Luzia and the covered way
• Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort
• Fortlet of São Mamede
• Fortlet of São Pedro [commons]
• Fortlet of São Domingos

Climate

Elvas has a hot summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa) with mild winters. Sometimes, winter temperatures may fall below 0°C (32°F), and summers are very hot and dry, with temperatures sometimes rising above 40°C (104°F). The climate of Elvas is similar to that of Badajoz, but it is slightly cooler and more humid because it is at a higher altitude and more affected by the Atlantic Ocean. Rainfall in Elvas ranges from 500 to 600 mm (20 to 24 in) each year, with an average of about 534 mm (21.0 in) annually. Elvas is one of the hottest cities in Portugal during the summer, with an average high temperature near 35°C (95°F).

Civil parishes

The municipality is divided into seven civil parishes (freguesias):

• Assunção, Ajuda, Salvador e Santo Ildefonso
• Barbacena e Vila Fernando
• Caia, São Pedro e Alcáçova
• Santa Eulália
• São Brás e São Lourenço
• São Vicente e Ventosa
• Terrugem e Vila Boim

Notable people

• Manuel Rodrigues Coelho (ca. 1555 – 1635) was a Portuguese organist and composer.
• João de Fontes Pereira de Melo (1780–1856) was a politician, general, and served as a colonial governor of Cape Verde twice.
• José Travassos Valdez, 1st Count of Bonfim (1787–1862) was a Portuguese soldier and statesman.
• Fortunato José Barreiros (1797–1885) was a colonial governor of Cape Verde and a military architect.
• Adelaide Cabete (1867–1935) was a Portuguese feminist and republican.
• Virgínia Quaresma (1882–1973) was an early radical, feminist, and lesbian journalist.
• Sofia Pomba Guerra (1906–1976) was a feminist, opponent of the Estado Novo government in Portugal, and an activist in the anti-colonial movements of Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau.
• José António Rondão Almeida (born 1945) is a Portuguese politician and Mayor of Elvas.
• Toni Vidigal (born 1975), Jorge Vidigal (born 1978), and André Vidigal (born 1998) are Angolan football brothers.
• Raquel Guerra (born 1985) is a Portuguese singer and actress.
• Henrique Sereno (born 1985) is a former Portuguese footballer who played for clubs in 236 games.