It is located in Largo do Marquês de Marialva, City of Évora, Alentejo region, Central Portugal
The Basilica Sé de Nossa Senhora da Assunção, better known as "Catedral de Évora" or "Sé de Évora", despite being started in 1186 and consecrated in 1204, this granite cathedral was only completed in 1250.
The Cathedral's terrace is the highest point in the city from where you can see the entire city, whether the historic city within the walls with all its heritage or the new city made up of several neighborhoods all around.
There is a vast horizon in which you can see the extensive plain and some historical locations such as: Arraiolos, Évora Monte and the limits of the Serras de Ossa to the north, and Portel to the south.
The fortified Gothic church, begun in 1186, consecrated in 1204, and immediately used as one of the great temples of the Marian cult, was only completed in 1250.
A monument that presents the transition from the Romanesque to the Gothic style, and marked by three majestic naves.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the cathedral received major improvements, dating back to the high choir, the pulpit, the baptistery and the arch of the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Piedade, but also known as “Capela do Esporão”, the rare example of plateresque hybrid architecture dating from 1529.
The facade is flanked by two towers, both from the medieval period, with the bells placed in the south tower, and some gilded altarpieces and other occasional improvements to the sumptuous decorations date back to the Baroque period.
In the 18th century, the cathedral was enriched with the construction of a new chancel sponsored by King John V, where the exuberance of the marble was wisely combined with the Roman-Gothic austerity of the temple.
In 1930, at the request of the Archbishop of Évora, Pope Pius XI granted the Cathedral the title of Minor Basilica.
In the following decades, some restoration work was carried out, such as the demolition of the 18th-century chapel's cloakrooms (which allowed the outer face and rose windows of the cloister to be exposed), and the removal of some baroque altarpieces that distorted the medieval atmosphere of the side naves.
The facade of the cathedral is flanked by two towers, both from the medieval period, the tower on the south side being the cathedral's bell tower, whose bells have marked the passing of the city's hours for centuries. Flanking the portal are sculptures of Apostles from the 14th century (ten of which are attributed to Mestre Pêro).
The interior of the cathedral is distributed across three large naves, measuring around 80 meters long (it is the largest Portuguese cathedral).
In the central nave (the highest), there is the altar of Nossa Senhora do Anjo (also called Senhora do Ó in the city), in baroque carving, with Gothic images of the Virgin in polychrome marble and the Angel Gabriel.
Still in the central nave, you can admire the pulpit (in marble) and the magnificent pipe organ (both from the Renaissance period).
In the transept, there are the ancient chapels of São Lourenço and Santo Cristo (which communicates with the Casa do Cabido) and the Chapels of the Relics and the Holy Sacrament, both decorated with opulent gilded ornaments.
In the left nave next to the entrance there is the baptistery closed by beautiful iron railings from the Renaissance period.
At the north top of the transept is the beautiful Renaissance portal (attributed to Nicolau Chanterene) of the Chapel of Morgados do Esporão (which had a tomb in it).
The 18th century altar and the marble chancel are by J. F. Ludwig better known as Ludovice, the architect of the Mafra Convent.
The construction of this work was due to the need for space for the canons since in the 18th century the splendor of liturgical ceremonies required a greater number of clerics.
This is how the original Gothic chapel was sacrificed (whose altarpiece can now be admired in the Évora Regional Museum).
It combines white, green and pink marble (from Estremoz, Sintra and Carrara (Italy), and you can also admire a beautiful Crucifix by Manuel Dias, called the Father of the Christs, which tops the painting of Our Lady of the Assumption (patron saint of the Cathedral), made in Rome by Agostino Masucci, allegorical statues of the busts of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and also a pipe organ from written by the Italian master Pascoal Caetano Oldovini.
In the cloisters from around 1325 there are statues of the Evangelists in every corner, the cloister, built by order of Bishop D.Pedro, is a beautiful Gothic example enriched with rose windows of different decorations, the funerary chapel of Bishop D.Pedro (founder of the cloister) whose Gothic tomb still exists in the center of it.
In this temple, the tombs of the Archbishops of Évora who died in the 20th century were recently placed in the south wing of the cloister.
The choir is the result of works carried out in the Manueline period, and has a valuable oak wooden chair on which mythological, naturalistic and rural scenes are carved, dating from 1562.
The Treasury and Museum of Sacred Art contains pieces of sacred art in the fields of vestments, painting, sculpture and goldsmithing.
The most curious is a 13th century ivory Virgin (Our Lady of Paradise) whose body opens to become a triptych with tiny carved scenes: her life in nine episodes.
The Cross-Reliquary of Santo Lenho (14th century), the Crosier of Cardinal D.Henrique (who was Archbishop of Évora and King of Portugal) and the Archbishops' gallery where all the Eborense prelates from 1540 to the present day are portrayed.
The Archbishops' treasury and gallery are part of the Cathedral's Sacred Art Museum opened in 1983, during the celebrations of the Cathedral's 8th centenary.
The Museum has been installed since May 22, 2009, in the former Colégio dos Moços do Coro da Sé, a building adjacent to the Cathedral that, after being renovated, houses the collections of goldsmithing, vestments, painting and sculpture that make up the valuable Treasury of the Cathedral.
The Cathedral's terrace is the highest point in the city from where you can see the entire city, whether the historic city within the walls with all its heritage or the new city made up of several neighborhoods all around.
There is a vast horizon in which you can see the extensive plain and some historical locations such as: Arraiolos, Évora Monte and the limits of the Serras de Ossa to the north, and Portel to the south.
The fortified Gothic church, begun in 1186, consecrated in 1204, and immediately used as one of the great temples of the Marian cult, was only completed in 1250.
A monument that presents the transition from the Romanesque to the Gothic style, and marked by three majestic naves.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the cathedral received major improvements, dating back to the high choir, the pulpit, the baptistery and the arch of the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Piedade, but also known as “Capela do Esporão”, the rare example of plateresque hybrid architecture dating from 1529.
The facade is flanked by two towers, both from the medieval period, with the bells placed in the south tower, and some gilded altarpieces and other occasional improvements to the sumptuous decorations date back to the Baroque period.
In the 18th century, the cathedral was enriched with the construction of a new chancel sponsored by King John V, where the exuberance of the marble was wisely combined with the Roman-Gothic austerity of the temple.
In 1930, at the request of the Archbishop of Évora, Pope Pius XI granted the Cathedral the title of Minor Basilica.
In the following decades, some restoration work was carried out, such as the demolition of the 18th-century chapel's cloakrooms (which allowed the outer face and rose windows of the cloister to be exposed), and the removal of some baroque altarpieces that distorted the medieval atmosphere of the side naves.
The facade of the cathedral is flanked by two towers, both from the medieval period, the tower on the south side being the cathedral's bell tower, whose bells have marked the passing of the city's hours for centuries. Flanking the portal are sculptures of Apostles from the 14th century (ten of which are attributed to Mestre Pêro).
The interior of the cathedral is distributed across three large naves, measuring around 80 meters long (it is the largest Portuguese cathedral).
In the central nave (the highest), there is the altar of Nossa Senhora do Anjo (also called Senhora do Ó in the city), in baroque carving, with Gothic images of the Virgin in polychrome marble and the Angel Gabriel.
Still in the central nave, you can admire the pulpit (in marble) and the magnificent pipe organ (both from the Renaissance period).
In the transept, there are the ancient chapels of São Lourenço and Santo Cristo (which communicates with the Casa do Cabido) and the Chapels of the Relics and the Holy Sacrament, both decorated with opulent gilded ornaments.
In the left nave next to the entrance there is the baptistery closed by beautiful iron railings from the Renaissance period.
At the north top of the transept is the beautiful Renaissance portal (attributed to Nicolau Chanterene) of the Chapel of Morgados do Esporão (which had a tomb in it).
The 18th century altar and the marble chancel are by J. F. Ludwig better known as Ludovice, the architect of the Mafra Convent.
The construction of this work was due to the need for space for the canons since in the 18th century the splendor of liturgical ceremonies required a greater number of clerics.
This is how the original Gothic chapel was sacrificed (whose altarpiece can now be admired in the Évora Regional Museum).
It combines white, green and pink marble (from Estremoz, Sintra and Carrara (Italy), and you can also admire a beautiful Crucifix by Manuel Dias, called the Father of the Christs, which tops the painting of Our Lady of the Assumption (patron saint of the Cathedral), made in Rome by Agostino Masucci, allegorical statues of the busts of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and also a pipe organ from written by the Italian master Pascoal Caetano Oldovini.
In the cloisters from around 1325 there are statues of the Evangelists in every corner, the cloister, built by order of Bishop D.Pedro, is a beautiful Gothic example enriched with rose windows of different decorations, the funerary chapel of Bishop D.Pedro (founder of the cloister) whose Gothic tomb still exists in the center of it.
In this temple, the tombs of the Archbishops of Évora who died in the 20th century were recently placed in the south wing of the cloister.
The choir is the result of works carried out in the Manueline period, and has a valuable oak wooden chair on which mythological, naturalistic and rural scenes are carved, dating from 1562.
The Treasury and Museum of Sacred Art contains pieces of sacred art in the fields of vestments, painting, sculpture and goldsmithing.
The most curious is a 13th century ivory Virgin (Our Lady of Paradise) whose body opens to become a triptych with tiny carved scenes: her life in nine episodes.
The Cross-Reliquary of Santo Lenho (14th century), the Crosier of Cardinal D.Henrique (who was Archbishop of Évora and King of Portugal) and the Archbishops' gallery where all the Eborense prelates from 1540 to the present day are portrayed.
The Archbishops' treasury and gallery are part of the Cathedral's Sacred Art Museum opened in 1983, during the celebrations of the Cathedral's 8th centenary.
The Museum has been installed since May 22, 2009, in the former Colégio dos Moços do Coro da Sé, a building adjacent to the Cathedral that, after being renovated, houses the collections of goldsmithing, vestments, painting and sculpture that make up the valuable Treasury of the Cathedral.
