We drove two hours from Merida, Spain to Alcácer do Sal, Portugal, this morning, on a wide, divided, well maintained stretch of road, unlike any we’ve driven on in the US in years. We checked in at Pousada D. Afonso II, a hilltop castle that sits above the Sado River valley, with Convent of Our Lady of Aracoeli inside the castle. Underneath the castle is a crypt with forum ruins dating back to Roman times. We stayed at this Pousada a few years ago and enjoyed the countryside views, proximity to beaches, and staying in a castle. We are enjoying this time too!
“The site of the castle has been continuously occupied since the 6th century. The castle was constructed in the 12th century by the Moors, with 20 towers of more than 82’. The castle was conquered in 1158 by D. Afonso Henriques, retaken in 1191 by the Arab Moors, and reconquered again in 1217, by Kind D. Afonso II. In 1570, Rui de Salema and his wife Catarina de Souto Maior, founded the Convent of Nossa Senhor de Aracaeli, to house the nuns of the Order of St. Claire (this order was founded in 1211 in Assisi, Italy). The convent had its golden period in the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was expanded and a new cloister and church were built. With the extinction of religious orders in Portugal in 1834, the convent suffered continuous degradation. In the 1990’s, the remains of the old convent were adapted for a Pousada, which opened to the public in 1998.”
“The site of the castle has been continuously occupied since the 6th century. The castle was constructed in the 12th century by the Moors, with 20 towers of more than 82’. The castle was conquered in 1158 by D. Afonso Henriques, retaken in 1191 by the Arab Moors, and reconquered again in 1217, by Kind D. Afonso II. In 1570, Rui de Salema and his wife Catarina de Souto Maior, founded the Convent of Nossa Senhor de Aracaeli, to house the nuns of the Order of St. Claire (this order was founded in 1211 in Assisi, Italy). The convent had its golden period in the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was expanded and a new cloister and church were built. With the extinction of religious orders in Portugal in 1834, the convent suffered continuous degradation. In the 1990’s, the remains of the old convent were adapted for a Pousada, which opened to the public in 1998.”
