Vila Viçosa is one of the most important "legacies" of Alentejo even if today it is primarily known for the marble it produces. Occupied by Romans, it was from the Muslims that the Portuguese conquered the town in 1217 during the reign of king D. Sancho II. The castle is built a century later, by king D. Dinis. The peak of Vila Viçosa is lived, however, during the Filipino ruling, when the crown of Portugal is in Spain. Vila Viçosa was then the largest ducal seat of all the Iberian Peninsula, being part of the Duchy of Braganza since 1461. On the 1st December 1640, King John II, Duke of Braganza accepts the throne of Portugal after a group of conspirators machinates Portugal's independence from the kingdom of Castile. He becomes then D. John IV (1640-1656) starting the dynasty of Bragança. Today, Vila Viçosa continues to offer stories to travelers, reflected in the churches, convents, palaces and conventual sweets that honor the region.

O que fazer

- Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa (Manueline, baroque and neoclassical, Sec. XVI-XVIII)

- Vila Viçosa Castle (Gothic, Baroque and Manueline)

- Pelourinho (Manueline, 1512)

- Shrine of Our Lady (Maneirista, XVI Century)

- Museum of Archeology and Hunting