WELCOME TO Val's Alentejo -I write about my region of Alentejo. My art ,painting, my cottages, Family life, my animals -Travels And my love for Roses- and rural country life.

Tuesday 31 July 2012

3 days away (Part one) Arronches

I was invited to go away for  3 days to the daughter of my very good friend Dita. The family live 1 half hours away from our village.  An hour from the spanish border. 
Its been more than 20 years since I was up in that region, and I was excited to see the place again.
The name of the village is Arronches.  I am sure that most of you have read about the history of Spain and Portugal and the Iberian wars. Arronches is a walled in town.  Of course some of the walls are just visible now and some areas you can see where they are still in good condition. 
I was able to take a few photos of the village and would like to share them with you.
                                             part of the old castle wall and turret
                                               Tiny little cottages all neat in a row
                                              This mural is part of a fountain.. its such a shame, its hidden outside of the village and is a little unkept.  I thought the mural exeptional and depicted life in the 18th century very well , with the stage coach stopping at Arronches on its way to Evora.

                                    A very old drawing of the original castle
                                     Each house has geranium pots ouside their doors and it looks so pretty.
                                           view from my bedroom window.
                                              I had to take a photo of this beautiful tiled window frame.. the tiles are from the 18th century..  The village houses are small , but very well kept.

                                                                               41º on Sunday when i took the photos.. One of the pots of geraniums . All were given and hung by the municipality.

                                    I did not want to show you the back part of this most beautiful monestery.  There is a long story that goes with it.   It is now privately owned and is just been left in ruin.. It was built  around 1500's.. it belonged to the church. The church needed money and they sold it.  Then the man that bought it went bankrupt and its been decaying ever since.   Its such a magnificent entrance  of "Manueline" style


The fountain where the tiles are. Very intricate design. To find out the history of this fountain.. i would need to speak to a historian from the University of Evora.. the local people tell mythical stories about it.
                                    A statue of "Our Lady of Fatima" greeting you at the last village, before entering Spain.

                                 Part of the village church, lit up at night.  It was a cool balmy evening
                                           Front entrance to the church
             I liked this panel of tiles.. depicting life in Arronches during Portugal's golden age.

The Battle of Arronches an encounter between the Portuguese empire and of the Spanish Empire took place in 1653... Along the way to Spain..you can see little ruined  stone towers, where the amunitions were kept. Now fallen and  hidden between the olive trees
Arronches is very well known for its black pigs and its fantastic smoked ham hocks.
I couldnt fit any more of Arronches in.  But am now reading up about its history.

Part 11..  Badajoz.

7 comments:

  1. Hello Val:
    Your visit to Arronches must have been a wonderful experience, so much of which is conveyed in this most interesting and beautifully illustrated post.

    Not only is the village steeped in history, but there is also clearly great pride taken in its appearance. It is, therefore, a pity that the mosaic is a little neglected as it is a most wonderful piece of art work.

    As for the view from your bedroom window, could anyone expect better? Lovely, and thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to share the delights of Arronches, to date, with us all.

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  2. I am so pleased that you liked my post.. Arronches held some surprises for me, and I shall be visiting again in the Autumn ..My friends were gracious hosts..
    It is such a shame that some of the beautiful buildings are left to neglegt.. i know that you have that in Hungary... Thank you Jane and Lance.
    happy days to you both

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  3. What a lovely view to wake up to, Val! And how sweet that you have friends to be with while visiting!!!...:)JP

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  4. Hello Valerie

    What an interesting place Arronches is. So much to see and do and I love the view from your room. The monastery is beautiful and hopefully the economy will turn around soon and it will be restored to its former glory

    Thanks for the insightful post
    Helen x

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  5. Hi Val,
    It was so interesting hearing about your visit to Arronches. It looks such a lovely Portuguese village. What a shame that beautiful building has been left to decay.
    Sarah x

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  6. Hi Val

    I finally discovered your blog and have loved about all your adventures and am especially envious of your warm sunny weather.

    Kind Regards

    Shell - A Darlings Nest

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