Arco Romano de Dona Isabel, Evora, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

The Arco Romano de Dona Isabel is an old gateway in the walls of Évora, in Portugal's Alentejo region. It was one of the main entrances to the Roman city, and it is a quick way to see how much of Évora's ancient past still sits in plain view among the houses.

The story behind it

The arch was part of the defensive wall and is linked to the Sisebuto Tower, another stop along the old circuit. Through this gate people once entered the Roman town. Pieces of that earlier age are still built into the stonework around it.

Évora's later history explains why so much survives. The city's golden age came in the Renaissance, when the House of Avis ruled from the Alentejo and the town drew scholars and artists and gained a Jesuit university. Later, as royal favour moved elsewhere, Évora lost its place as a major hub and saw little large-scale redevelopment. That neglect, ironically, helped protect the historic centre from the building and rebuilding that changed many other European cities.

What to look for

• Look at the section of wall beside the arch, which was part of the town's defences and ties in with the Sisebuto Tower.
• On your right as you approach, the door frame set into the wall is said to come from an ancient Roman house.
• Check the steps beneath that door frame, which are also reported to be Roman and are easy to walk past without noticing.
• Notice how the lane narrows at the gateway, and how medieval and later houses press up against much older stone.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 10 to 15 minutes here, longer if you like to study stonework and compare the different layers of the wall.
• The arch is part of the street and the wall, so you can walk up to it and through the area without a ticket.
• Morning or late afternoon light is kinder to the old stone and the streets are usually quieter than at midday.
• The Sisebuto Tower is part of the same stretch of defences, so combine the two on one walk through the old town.

See it on a quest

The arch is one stop on Highlights of Evora: From Celtics to Romans, a self-guided walk through the old town that follows the layers of Évora's early history. You reach the arch on foot as part of a longer route, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. You can start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.