Elvas

Elvas lies on a hill {{convert|8|km}} northwest of the Guadiana river. The Amoreira Aqueduct, {{convert|6|km}} long, supplies the city with clean water; it was begun early in the 15th century and completed in 1622. For some distance it includes four tiers of superimposed arches, with a total height of {{convert|40|m}}.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=300}}

The city was wrested from the Moors by Afonso I of Portugal in 1166 but was temporarily recaptured before its final occupation by the Portuguese in 1226. In 1570 it became an episcopal see, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Elvas, until 1818. The late Gothic Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral, which has many traces of Moorish influence in its architecture, dates from the reign of Manuel I of Portugal (1495–1521).{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=300}}

It was defended by seven bastions and the two forts of Santa Luzia and the Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=300}} From 1642 it was the chief frontier fortress south of the Tagus, which withstood sieges by the Spanish in 1659, 1711, and 1801.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=301}} Elvas was the site of the Battle of the Lines of Elvas in 1659, during which the garrison and citizens of the city assisted in the rout of a Spanish Army.{{Citation needed|date=September 2019}} The Napoleonic French under Marshal Junot took it in March 1808 during the Peninsular War, but evacuated it in August after the conclusion of the Convention of Sintra.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=301}} The fortress of Campo Maior {{convert|15|km}} to the northeast is known for its Napoleonic era siege by the French and relief by the British under Marshal Beresford in 1811, an exploit commemorated in a ballad by Sir Walter Scott.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=300}}

The Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1367/|title=Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications}}

The site, extensively fortified from the 17th to 19th centuries, represents the largest bulwarked dry ditch system in the world. Within its walls, the town contains barracks and other military buildings as well as churches and monasteries. While Elvas contains remains dating back to the 10th century, its fortification began during the Portuguese Restoration War. The fortifications played a major role in the Battle of the Lines of Elvas in 1659. The fortifications were designed by Dutch Jesuit Padre João Piscásio Cosmander and represent the best surviving example of the Dutch school of fortifications anywhere. The site consists the following:

1. Amoreira Aqueduct, built to withstand long sieges.
2. Historic Centre
3. Fort of Santa Luzia and the covered way
4. Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort
5. Fortlet of São Mamede
6. {{ill|Fortlet of São Pedro|commons|Category:Fortim de São Pedro}}
7. Fortlet of São Domingos

Elvas has a hot summer mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa) with mild winters, although occasionally temperatures may drop below {{cvt|0|C|F}} and very hot, dry summers, where temperatures occasionally exceed {{cvt|40|C|F}}. Elvas climate is quite similar to that of Badajoz, being slightly cooler and more humid due to its higher altitude and greater influence from the Atlantic Ocean.{{cite web|url=https://www.ipma.pt/pt/oclima/normais.clima/1991-2020/#535|title=Climate normals 1991-2020|publisher=Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera|access-date=24 May 2025}} Precipitation varies from {{cvt|500 to 600 |mm|in}} throughout the year, with an average of about {{cvt|534|mm}} annually. It is one of the hottest cities in Portugal during the summer, with an average maximum temperature close to {{cvt|35|C}}.

{{Weather box

| location = Elvas, (1991-2020 normals), extremes (1981-present)

| single line = Yes

| metric first = Yes

| width = auto

| Jan record high C = 22.6

| Feb record high C = 24.1

| Mar record high C = 30.8

| Apr record high C = 35.3

| May record high C = 39.4

| Jun record high C = 42.9

| Jul record high C = 45.8

| Aug record high C = 45.1

| Sep record high C = 43.5

| Oct record high C = 36.1

| Nov record high C = 29.2

| Dec record high C = 22.0

| year record high C =

| Jan high C = 13.9

| Feb high C = 15.9

| Mar high C = 19.2

| Apr high C = 21.6

| May high C = 26.0

| Jun high C = 31.2

| Jul high C = 34.8

| Aug high C = 34.6

| Sep high C = 30.1

| Oct high C = 24.2

| Nov high C = 17.9

| Dec high C = 14.5

| year high C =

| Jan mean C = 9.0

| Feb mean C = 10.3

| Mar mean C = 13.2

| Apr mean C = 15.2

| May mean C = 18.9

| Jun mean C = 23.1

| Jul mean C = 25.8

| Aug mean C = 25.9

| Sep mean C = 22.7

| Oct mean C = 18.2

| Nov mean C = 12.9

| Dec mean C = 9.9

| year mean C =

| Jan low C = 4.1

| Feb low C = 4.7

| Mar low C = 7.1

| Apr low C = 8.8

| May low C = 11.8

| Jun low C = 15.0

| Jul low C = 16.8

| Aug low C = 17.1

| Sep low C = 15.2

| Oct low C = 12.3

| Nov low C = 8.0

| Dec low C = 5.3

| year low C =

| Jan record low C = -7.0

| Feb record low C = -5.0

| Mar record low C = -2.0

| Apr record low C = -1.5

| May record low C = 1.5

| Jun record low C = 6.0

| Jul record low C = 9.7

| Aug record low C = 8.0

| Sep record low C = 4.0

| Oct record low C = -1.0

| Nov record low C = -4.5

| Dec record low C = -5.5

| year record low C =

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 56.7

| Feb precipitation mm = 48.9

| Mar precipitation mm = 54.2

| Apr precipitation mm = 53.4

| May precipitation mm = 41.6

| Jun precipitation mm = 16.8

| Jul precipitation mm = 1.9

| Aug precipitation mm = 5.3

| Sep precipitation mm = 24.6

| Oct precipitation mm = 76.7

| Nov precipitation mm = 81.0

| Dec precipitation mm = 73.3

| year precipitation mm =

| unit precipitation days = 1 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 7.4

| Feb precipitation days = 6.3

| Mar precipitation days = 7.0

| Apr precipitation days = 7.3

| May precipitation days = 5.5

| Jun precipitation days = 1.9

| Jul precipitation days = 0.5

| Aug precipitation days = 0.9

| Sep precipitation days = 3.2

| Oct precipitation days = 7.2

| Nov precipitation days = 7.9

| Dec precipitation days = 7.6

| year precipitation days =

| Jan sun = 154.3

| Feb sun = 161.8

| Mar sun = 212.1

| Apr sun = 224.6

| May sun = 275.4

| Jun sun = 316.2

| Jul sun = 366.6

| Aug sun = 339.2

| Sep sun = 252.2

| Oct sun = 198.6

| Nov sun = 164.8

| Dec sun = 129.4

| year sun =

| source = Instituto de Meteorologia (Sunshine 1971-2000){{cite web |url=https://www.ipma.pt/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_91-20_ELVAS.pdf |title=Monthly Averages for Elvas (1991–2020)|publisher=IPMA}}

}}

{{Weather box

|location = Vila Fernando, 1971-2000 normals and extremes, elevation: {{convert|360|m|ft|abbr=on}}

|single line = Yes

|metric first = Yes

|width = auto

|collapsed = Yes

|Jan record high C = 20.0

|Feb record high C = 22.6

|Mar record high C = 27.5

|Apr record high C = 31.0

|May record high C = 34.5

|Jun record high C = 42.0

|Jul record high C = 42.5

|Aug record high C = 40.6

|Sep record high C = 41.2

|Oct record high C = 33.6

|Nov record high C = 26.5

|Dec record high C = 22.5

|year record high C =

|Jan high C = 12.2

|Feb high C = 13.8

|Mar high C = 16.7

|Apr high C = 18.3

|May high C = 22.3

|Jun high C = 27.8

|Jul high C = 32.0

|Aug high C = 31.8

|Sep high C = 28.1

|Oct high C = 21.7

|Nov high C = 16.3

|Dec high C = 13.1

|year high C =

|Jan mean C = 8.4

|Feb mean C = 9.7

|Mar mean C = 11.7

|Apr mean C = 13.0

|May mean C = 16.2

|Jun mean C = 20.6

|Jul mean C = 23.9

|Aug mean C = 23.6

|Sep mean C = 21.4

|Oct mean C = 16.6

|Nov mean C = 12.2

|Dec mean C = 9.6

|year mean C =

|Jan low C = 4.7

|Feb low C = 5.6

|Mar low C = 6.7

|Apr low C = 7.7

|May low C = 10.1

|Jun low C = 13.3

|Jul low C = 15.7

|Aug low C = 15.5

|Sep low C = 14.6

|Oct low C = 11.5

|Nov low C = 8.1

|Dec low C = 6.0

|year low C =

|Jan record low C = -5.0

|Feb record low C = -5.0

|Mar record low C = -1.0

|Apr record low C = -1.0

|May record low C = 2.0

|Jun record low C = 6.0

|Jul record low C = 9.0

|Aug record low C = 8.0

|Sep record low C = 4.0

|Oct record low C = 1.5

|Nov record low C = -0.5

|Dec record low C = -3.0

|year record low C =

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm = 64.3

|Feb rain mm = 54.6

|Mar rain mm = 41.7

|Apr rain mm = 54.0

|May rain mm = 39.2

|Jun rain mm = 23.2

|Jul rain mm = 7.6

|Aug rain mm = 4.5

|Sep rain mm = 23.8

|Oct rain mm = 58.6

|Nov rain mm = 72.9

|Dec rain mm = 88.2

|year rain mm =

|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 11.0

|Feb precipitation days = 9.2

|Mar precipitation days = 7.6

|Apr precipitation days = 9.1

|May precipitation days = 7.1

|Jun precipitation days = 4.0

|Jul precipitation days = 1.5

|Aug precipitation days = 1.0

|Sep precipitation days = 3.9

|Oct precipitation days = 8.2

|Nov precipitation days = 9.3

|Dec precipitation days = 10.1

|year precipitation days =

|source = Instituto de Meteorologia{{cite web |url=http://www.ipma.pt/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_71-00_VILA_FERNANDO.pdf |title=Monthly Averages for Vila Fernando (1971–2000)|publisher=IPMA}}

}}

Administratively, the municipality is divided in seven civil parishes (freguesias):{{cite web|title=Law nr. 11-A/2013, page 552 44|url=http://dre.pt/pdf1sdip/2013/01/01901/0000200147.pdf |access-date=22 July 2014|author=Diário da República|language=pt|author-link=Diário da República }}

• 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

File:Conde de Bonfim.png

• Manuel Rodrigues Coelho (ca. 1555 – 1635) a Portuguese organist and composer.
• João de Fontes Pereira de Melo (1780–1856) a politician, a general and twice colonial governor of Cape Verde
• José Travassos Valdez, 1st Count of Bonfim (1787–1862) a Portuguese soldier and statesman.
• Fortunato José Barreiros (1797–1885) a colonial governor of Cape Verde and military architect.
• Adelaide Cabete (1867–1935) a Portuguese feminist and republican.
• Virgínia Quaresma (1882–1973) an early radical, feminist, lesbian journalist
• Sofia Pomba Guerra (1906–1976) 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) a Portuguese politician & Mayor of Elvas
• Toni Vidigal (born 1975), Jorge Vidigal (born 1978) & André Vidigal (born 1998) Angolan football brothers
• Raquel Guerra (born 1985) a Portuguese singer and actress.[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1807554/ Raquel Guerra, IMDb Database] retrieved 16 July 2021.
• Henrique Sereno (born 1985) a Portuguese former footballer with 236 club caps

• {{flagicon|Spain}} Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain
• Olivença, Disputed
• {{flagicon|Portugal}} Campo Maior, Alentejo, Portugal

{{portal|Portugal}}

• {{EB1911|wstitle=Elvas|volume=9|pages=300–301}}

{{Commons category}}

• [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1367/ UNESCO, Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications]

{{Wikivoyage}}

{{Municipalities of Portalegre}}

{{World Heritage Sites in Portugal}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Cities in Portugal

Category:World Heritage Sites in Portugal

Category:Populated places in Portalegre District

Category:Municipalities of Portalegre District