There is distinctly aristocratic feel to Evora, the largest town in the Alentejo, whose population of 45,000 includes a large percentage of university students. Ringed by sturdy walls and topped by a cathedral towering above irregularly terraced houses, Evora is both unmistakable and beguiling.

The maze of cobbled streets seems to have no rhyme or reason: Square after square is doggedly asymmetrical, flowers spill over archways, and farms, convents, and modern apartment blocks nudge the outskirts. Around each corner there seems to be a mansion, a flamboyant church, or an exceptional structure.

Evora’s unusual urban pattern can be explained by the multiple layers of civilization, starting with the Romans. Then came the Moors, whose imprint is evident in the northern quarter, and finally the Portuguese rulers, who left an array of Gothic, Renaissance, Manueline, neoclassic, mannerist, and baroque architectural styles. The old Jewish quarter has its own distinctive layout.