Sunday, July 11, 2010

Estremoz - Portugal

Susana, another friend, sent me this card from Estremoz, a city located in Alentejo region. The card was on my wishlist and it shows a stute of Queen Isabel and the tower of the castle.

"The castle was founded in 1258, and was converted into one of Portugal's best pousadas (hotel), the residence of King Dinis and his wife Queen Saint Isabel in the early 14th century. Visitors don't have to stay at the pousada to take a look around the room in which she died, which has been converted into a small chapel adorned with tiles and paintings depicting scenes from her life and the story of the Miracle of the Roses.
The king disapproved of her giving alms to the poor, so Isabel hid the bread she was carrying for them in the folds of her skirt. When the suspicious king asked her to show him what she was carrying, the bread had miraculously turned into roses.
A marble statue of the queen now stands on the castle terrace." - in: http://www.golisbon.com/portugal/cities/estremoz.html

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