Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1367

 

The site, extensively fortified from the 17th to 19th centuries, represents the largest bulwarked dry-ditch system in the world. Within its walls, the town contains barracks and other military buildings as well as churches and monasteries. While Elvas contains remains dating back to the 10th century ad, its fortification began when Portugal regained independence in 1640. The fortifications designed by Dutch Jesuit padre Cosmander represent the best surviving example of the Dutch school of fortifications anywhere. The site also contains the Amoreira aqueduct, built to enable the stronghold to withstand lengthy sieges.

 

 

Sender: Cristina, Sent on: 24 Apr, 2014, Received on: 29 Apr, 2014, Travel time: 5 days

Forest Park of the Discalced Carmelites, Bucaco, Portugal (UNESCO TENTATIVE)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1984/

Measuring 1450m by 950m, the National Forest is surrounded by a wall with several gates scattered around the perimeter, providing access to the leafy woods which surround the church, part of a Carmelite convent, a monumental palace, and several other buildings of a religious nature. Bucaco's cultural landscape predates this, the only "wilderness” of its kind in Portugal, which was created by the Order of Discalced Carrnelites between 1628 and 1630. The friars of the Monastery of Vacarip, situated five kms away, had already been active in altering the natural environment, since the sixth century.

Sender: JoaoNogueira, Sent on: 27 Jan, 2014, Received on: 4 Feb, 2014, Travel time: 8 days

Fado, Urban Popular Song of Portugal (Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage)

http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/RL/00563

Fado is a performance genre incorporating music and poetry widely practised by various communities in Lisbon. It represents a Portuguese multicultural synthesis of Afro-Brazilian sung dances, local traditional genres of song and dance, musical traditions from rural areas of the country brought by successive waves of internal immigration, and the cosmopolitan urban song patterns of the early nineteenth century. Fado songs are usually performed by a solo singer, male or female, traditionally accompanied by a wire-strung acoustic guitar and the Portuguese guitarra – a pear-shaped cittern with twelve wire strings, unique to Portugal, which also has an extensive solo repertoire. The past few decades have witnessed this instrumental accompaniment expanded to two Portuguese guitars, a guitar and a bass guitar. Fado is performed professionally on the concert circuit and in small ‘Fado houses’, and by amateurs in numerous grass-root associations located throughout older neighbourhoods of Lisbon. Informal tuition by older, respected exponents takes place in traditional performance spaces and often over successive generations within the same families. The dissemination of Fado through emigration and the world music circuit has reinforced its image as a symbol of Portuguese identity, leading to a process of cross-cultural exchange involving other musical traditions.

Sender: PescadorMenezes, Sent on: 5 Jan, 2014, Received on: 31 Jan, 2014, Travel time: 26 days

Azenhas do Mar, Portugal

Azenhas do Mar, (Translates as sea-watermill) is a town in Portugal located on a hill side by the Atlantic Ocean shore, it’s just about 40 minutes drive (north west) from the capital, Lisbon.

Sender: anaserodio, Sent on: 17 Dec, 2013, Received on: 3 Jan, 2014, Travel time: 17 days

Laurisilva of Madeira, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/934

The Laurisilva of Madeira is an outstanding relict of a previously widespread laurel forest type. It is the largest surviving area of laurel forest and is believed to be 90% primary forest. It contains a unique suite of plants and animals, including many endemic species such as the Madeiran long-toed pigeon.

Sender: miceu, Sent on: 2 Jan, 2014, Received on: 20 Feb, 2014, Travel time: 18 days

Laurisilva of Madeira, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/934

The Laurisilva of Madeira is an outstanding relict of a previously widespread laurel forest type. It is the largest surviving area of laurel forest and is believed to be 90% primary forest. It contains a unique suite of plants and animals, including many endemic species such as the Madeiran long-toed pigeon.

Sender: miceu, Sent on: 2 Jan, 2014, Received on: 20 Feb, 2014, Travel time: 18 days

Maxicard

Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1117

Sender: miceu, Sent on: 2 Jan, 2014, Received on: 20 Feb, 2014, Travel time: 18 days

Maxicard

Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1117

The 987-ha site on the volcanic island of Pico, the second largest in the Azores archipelago, consists of a remarkable pattern of spaced-out, long linear walls running inland from, and parallel to, the rocky shore. The walls were built to protect the thousands of small, contiguous, rectangular plots (currais) from wind and seawater. Evidence of this viniculture, whose origins date back to the 15th century, is manifest in the extraordinary assembly of the fields, in houses and early 19th-century manor houses, in wine-cellars, churches and ports. The extraordinarily beautiful man-made landscape of the site is the best remaining area of a once much more widespread practice.

Sender: miceu, Sent on: 2 Jan, 2014, Received on: 20 Feb, 2014, Travel time: 18 days

Historic Centre of Guimarães, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1031

The historic town of Guimarães is associated with the emergence of the Portuguese national identity in the 12th century. An exceptionally well-preserved and authentic example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town, its rich building typology exemplifies the specific development of Portuguese architecture from the 15th to 19th century through the consistent use of traditional building materials and techniques.

Sender: ed_firmo, Sent on: 17 Jan, 2014, Received on: 31 Feb, 2014, Travel time: 14 days

Historic Centre of Oporto, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/755

The city of Oporto, built along the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the Douro river, is an outstanding urban landscape with a 2,000-year history. Its continuous growth, linked to the sea (the Romans gave it the name Portus), can be seen in the many and varied monuments, from the cathedral with its Romanesque choir, to the neoclassical Stock Exchange and the typically Portuguese Manueline-style Church of Santa Clara.

Sender: ogait, Sent on: 29 Nov, 2013, Received on: 9 Dec, 2013, Travel time: 11 days

Monastery of Alcobaça, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/505

The Monastery of Santa Maria d'Alcobaça, north of Lisbon, was founded in the 12th century by King Alfonso I. Its size, the purity of its architectural style, the beauty of the materials and the care with which it was built make this a masterpiece of Cistercian Gothic art.

Sender: JoaoNogueira, Sent on: 25 Nov, 2013, Received on: 2 Dec, 2013, Travel time: 8 days

Monastery of the Hieronymites, Lisbon, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/263

Sender: anaserodio, Received on: 03 Dec, 2013

Monastery of the Hieronymites, Lisbon, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/263

Standing at the entrance to Lisbon harbour, the Monastery of the Hieronymites – construction of which began in 1502 – exemplifies Portuguese art at its best. The nearby Tower of Belém, built to commemorate Vasco da Gama's expedition, is a reminder of the great maritime discoveries that laid the foundations of the modern world.

Sender: anaserodio, Received on: 22 Nov, 2013

Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/866

The two Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley (Portugal) and Siega Verde (Spain) are located on the banks of the rivers Agueda and Côa, tributaries of the river Douro, documenting continuous human occupation from the end of the Paleolithic Age. Hundreds of panels with thousands of animal figures (5,000 in Foz Côa and around 440 in Siega Verde) were carved over several millennia, representing the most remarkable open-air ensemble of Paleolithic art on the Iberian Peninsula.

Côa Valley and Siega Verde provide the best illustration of the iconographic themes and organization of Paleolithic rock art, using the same modes of expression in caves and in the open air, thus contributing to a greater understanding of this artistic phenomenon. Together they form a unique site of the prehistoric era, rich in material evidence of Upper Paleolithic occupation.

Sender: geminiscp, Sent on: 6 Nov, 2013, Received on: 26 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 20 days

Monastery of Batalha, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/264

The Monastery of the Dominicans of Batalha was built to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians at the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. It was to be the Portuguese monarchy's main building project for the next two centuries. Here a highly original, national Gothic style evolved, profoundly influenced by Manueline art, as demonstrated by its masterpiece, the Royal Cloister.

Sender: JoaoNogueira, Sent on: 07 Nov, 2013, Received on: 19 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 12 days

His Blog; http://joaonogueirapostcrossing.blogspot.com

Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/206

Situated on one of the islands in the Azores archipelago, this was an obligatory port of call from the 15th century until the advent of the steamship in the 19th century. The 400-year-old San Sebastião and San João Baptista fortifications are unique examples of military architecture. Damaged by an earthquake in 1980, Angra is now being restored.

Sender: martinha, Sent on: 29 Oct, 2013, Received on: 11 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 13 days

Alto Douro Wine Region, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1046

Wine has been produced by traditional landholders in the Alto Douro region for some 2,000 years. Since the 18th century, its main product, port wine, has been world famous for its quality. This long tradition of viticulture has produced a cultural landscape of outstanding beauty that reflects its technological, social and economic evolution.

Sender: ed_firmo, Sent on: 10 Oct, 2013, Received on: 11 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 32 days

University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1387

more than seven centuries within the old town. Notable university buildings include the 12th century Cathedral of Santa Cruz and a number of 16th century colleges,  the Royal Palace of Alcáçova, which has housed the University since 1537, the Joanine Library with its rich baroque decor, the 18th century Botanical Garden and University Press, as well as the large “University City” created during the 1940s. The University’s edifices became a reference in the development of other institutions of higher education in the Portuguese-speaking world where it also exerted a major influence on learning and literature. Coimbra offers an outstanding example of an integrated university city with a specific urban typology as well as its own ceremonial and cultural traditions that have been kept alive through the ages.

Sender: ed_firmo, Sent on: 10 Oct, 2013, Received on: 11 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 32 days

Vasco da Gama Bridge, Lisbon, Portugal

The Vasco da Gama Bridge (Ponte Vasco da Gama) is a cable-stayed bridge flanked by viaducts and rangeviews that spans the Tagus River in Parque das Nações in Lisbon, capital of Portugal. It is the longest bridge in Europe (including viaducts), with a total length of 17.2 km (10.7 mi), including 0.829 km (0.5 mi) for the main bridge, 11.5 km (7.1 mi) in viaducts, and 4.8 km (3.0 mi) in dedicated access roads.

Sender: anaserodio, Sent on: 14 Oct, 2013, Received on: 11 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 28 days

Cultural Landscape of Sintra, Portugal (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/723

In the 19th century Sintra became the first centre of European Romantic architecture. Ferdinand II turned a ruined monastery into a castle where this new sensitivity was displayed in the use of Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish and Renaissance elements and in the creation of a park blending local and exotic species of trees. Other fine dwellings, built along the same lines in the surrounding serra , created a unique combination of parks and gardens which influenced the development of landscape architecture throughout Europe.

Sender: anaserodio, Sent on: 26 Sep, 2013, Received on: 1 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 35 days