Estremoz, the city of marble

Estremoz

Along with neighboring Borba and Vila Vicosa, Estremoz It is one of the region known as the city of marble. Because there is so much fine marble in this region - which rivals Carrara, Italy - it is used all over the place: even rough stones are pieces of marble.

Estremoz is a Portuguese city in the District of Évora, Alentejo region and Central Alentejo sub-region. This marble has been used since ancient times as a material for sculpture and architecture. The first exports in Roman times were for the construction of the Circus Maximus of Emerita Augusta, in modern day Spain.

The Portuguese navigators exported this marble to Africa, India and Brazil. Marble from this region was used in famous places such as the Jerónimos Monastery, the Batalha Monastery, the Alcobaça Monastery and the Belém Tower.

There is not so much marble around Estremoz that it is used everywhere, even the doors, sidewalks and cobblestones are made of marble. This marble is even turned into lime to paint the houses.

It should be noted that Portugal is the second largest marble exporter in the world, only surpassed by Italy (in Carrara marble). Around 85% of this marble (more than 370.000 tons) was produced around Estremoz.

In marble quarry blocks, they are cut out of the rock with a diamond wire, a durable steel cable with a series of circular diamond balls. The initial conduit for the wire is made through a horizontal and vertical drilling hole for a hole that ends exactly inside the rock. The wire saw may need a day to cut through the marble.

Also Estremoz has an attractive downtown set with peaceful squares, orange trees lined lanes and a castle and hilltop convent. It is a simple provincial town, with a lot of elderly people and shops of agricultural tools and a large market that fills the central square on Saturdays.

Estremoz


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