Évora’s main square was originally called Praça Grande (“Grand Square”) and was home to the town hall, which was a beautiful Manueline (Portuguese Gothic) building, demolished for the construction of the current and also elegant Bank of Portugal. The name changed to honor Giraldo Sem Pavor (“Gerald the Fearless”), a knight who helped Portugal’s first king expel the Moors from the region in 1165.
The cobbled square was an execution ground during the Inquisition for 200 years, and the site of the beheading of the Duke of Bragança in 1484, after King João II believed the duke was conspiring with the Spanish nobility to have him overthrown. It was also where bullfights took place between the 15th and 19th centuries, but is now a much more peaceful place, with outdoor cafés surrounded by the arcades of attractive buildings with wrought-iron windows. It’s the heart of the city, and the best place to start a tour of its streets and monuments.