Arraiolos, about twenty kilometres north of Évora, is a typical Alentejo village of low whitewashed houses trimmed in blue, gathered around a hill crowned by a castle. Its name is known throughout the world thanks to Arraiolos rugs.
The rugs
Tapetes de Arraiolos are rugs hand-embroidered in coloured wool on linen or jute canvas, with a distinctive slanted cross stitch. The tradition dates back at least to the seventeenth century and was probably inspired by oriental carpets and patterns brought by craftsmen of Moorish origin. Designs are floral, geometric or feature animals, and each rug takes weeks or months of work. The village still has many workshops and shops where you can watch the embroiderers at work. The Arraiolos Rug Interpretation Centre, in the old hospital on the main square, tells the history and technique of the craft, with antique pieces.
The castle
At the top of the hill is the castle, built in the early fourteenth century by order of King Dinis: its walls are almost perfectly circular, a very rare shape in Portugal. Inside is the church of the Saviour, and from the walls there is a wide view over a plain of cork oaks and olives.
The village
On the main square, Praça do Município, are the pillory and the town hall. Just outside the centre, the sixteenth-century Lóios convent, with a cloister and an azulejo-lined church, is now a pousada. Arraiolos is also known for sweets such as pastéis de toucinho. It is about 25 minutes by car from Évora and just over an hour from Lisbon, and makes a pleasant stop on the way to Estremoz.