Alentejo is located in the south central region in Portugal. The original name is Alem-Tejo that is translated into either “beyond the Tagus” or “across the Tagus”. This large region is separated from mainland Portugal by the Tagus River extending far into the southern region towards the Algarve. The region is further divided into sub-regions namely the Alto Alentejo or High Region, The Baixo Alentejo or Lower Region, the Alentejo Central, the Alentejo Litoral and Leziria do Tejo. There are two mountain ranges in the region that are its highest peaks, namely Sao Mamede and Osa. Also located in the region is the Guadiana, the largest river in all of Portugal that acts as a natural border between the two countries on the Iberian Peninsula.
The regional capital is Evora and there are other cities in the region, namely Santarem, Portalegre, Beja and Sines. As of 2001, there were 776, 585 inhabitants spread over an area of 31,152 square kilometers. The Alentejo has been known to have one third of all the land area of Portugal but only one twentieth of the population making for wide expanses of lands with few people between them, or roughly twenty four people per square kilometer. The capital of “Baixa Alentejo” is Beja while the capital of the Alto Alentejo is Evora. The cities are rich in historic areas and ruins with many battle scars from foreign invaders such as Romans, Moors and Vandals, or even just conflicts by and between the royal families of Portugal.
Alentejo is best known as the slowest and most laid back of all the regions in Portugal. Most tours portray Alentejo as the place “where even time takes time”. Many townspeople urge visitors walking too fast in the area are urged by locals to “calma, calma” or slow down. The land has been best known for its vineyards, with ten percent devoted for winemaking. The other ninety percent is for cereal grains and olives. The people of Alentejo or Alentejanos have been the object of ridicule for their seeming slow motion in things that they do. In reality, the slow country is the best retreat you can have as a visitor to the region from the rat race of the modern world.
The Tejo River has shaped much of the history and development in the Alentejo region. The river provided a natural border between the Moor controlled Algarve and the Christian governed northern country. The region was developed as the bread basket of Portugal in the 2nd century by the Roman Empire but fell to the Moors as it invaded Portugal. King Alfonso Henriques wrested the region from Moorish control in 1147. Much of its old monuments and buildings during the cataclysmic earthquake in 1755 though some of them remain as either ruins or restorations of the old architecture. . The cities also have many historic landmarks that have been well preserved as a World Heritage site. The oldest historic edifice in the region is the Temple of Diana built back in the 2nd or 3rd century BC. Standing nearby is the Monasterio dos Loios with the Saint John the Baptist Church, which is now a hotel called the Pousada.
The recent history of Alentejo showed the resilience of its people. Over the centuries, the region’s extreme climate has provided much difficulty for the winemakers of the region, but through the townspeople’s ingenuity and modernized facilities, the lack of rainfall and the extreme temperatures have been managed properly for the booming winemaking business. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, much hardship was felt throughout the Alentejo as a few families controlled the economy of the region. The regular folk then farmed the steep sided hills of Quinta Azenha do Romalho into terraces. They also irrigated the Ribiera de Arronches that flowed through the Vale Lourenco to the surrounding areas.
This economic and political imbalance also created changes in the culture as well as the cuisine of the region. The Alentejanos had to make use what was available making for a rich culinary tradition for the region. The staple of the region is pig as pork is the most favored meat in the country. No part of the pig is wasted from snout to tail. Each part, even the feet have particular ways of preparation for a dish of delight.
The region is known as the bread basket of Portugal not only because of the wide expanse of lands but also because of the agricultural produce in the region. The farm products include grains, sunflowers, fruits, vegetables, olives, wine, cork, eucalyptus and livestock. The rich and arable land together with the vast tracts of open spaces providing the necessary inputs to supply much of Portugal’s needs for over hundreds of years.
The Alentejo’s southern border lies the Serra de Caldeira and the mountains of Monchique. This area is home to the world’s largest cork growing area in the world. Cork Oak, locally known as sobreiro has been the primary agricultural product for over three centuries. The traditional method of harvesting cork, by the use of hand axes held by teams of men, is the only way to efficiently and effectively take the cork from the tree. A mature tree can provide cork for about four thousand bottles of wine, and the industry employs roughly 60,000 workers.
Another sign of the wide and varied topography of the Alentejo region is the Portalegre. In this area, the weather is much cooler with greater precipitation because of the higher elevation. It is in this area that the higher quality wines from the region. In this area both white wine grape varieties such as the arinto galego, assario, roupeirom fernao pires and mantuedo and the red wine grape varieties include aragonez, grand noir, periuita and the trincadeiro.
The Alentejo way of life is very different from much of Portugal. Here serenity and slowness is much valued as much is provided for the visitors and inhabitants from the rich earth. Steeped in tradition and rich in culture, the Alentejano’s uniqueness and delights provide not only food for the palate but also food for the soul. So partake of the richness of Alentejo the next time you visit Portugal.