Visit Évora, European Capital of Culture 2027, from Casa Morgado Esporão
In 2027 Évora will be European Capital of Culture, a title it shares with Liepāja in Latvia. For a whole year, the museum-city at the heart of the Alentejo will be one of the cultural centres of Europe. Casa Morgado Esporão, a boutique aparthotel in a restored 15th-century mansion 80 metres from the Roman Temple, is a natural home from which to live it.
A year-long programme in Évora and across the Alentejo
The official opening takes place on 6 February 2027, and the full programme is presented on 18 November 2026 at the Teatro Garcia de Resende. The organisers, Évora_27, speak of around a thousand events throughout the year, in Évora and across the Alentejo: music, theatre, dance, visual arts, cinema, literature and the crafts of the region. The guiding idea is “vagar”, the Alentejo art of taking one’s time: an invitation to slow down and pay attention to people, to nature and to the place.
In the centre of the city, with everything within walking distance
Most of what happens in Évora in 2027 will happen in the historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986, and Casa Morgado Esporão stands in the middle of it: 80 metres from the Roman Temple, 200 metres from Giraldo Square, and a few minutes on foot from the cathedral, the university, the theatres and the museums. You can walk to an exhibition in the morning, come home for lunch in your own kitchen, and walk out again to a concert in the evening.
Self-catered apartments with kitchen, Wi-Fi and daily cleaning, for a weekend or for a long stay
Swimming pool, patio, lounge bar, sauna and jacuzzi to rest between events
A meeting room with 18th-century frescoes and a lounge for groups, receptions and small events
Five centuries of history, carefully restored
The house itself is part of the heritage that Évora will be celebrating. The original construction dates from the 15th century, and the house belonged to Álvaro Mendes de Vasconcelos, the 4th “Morgado do Esporão”, ambassador of King João III at the court of Charles V. After almost thirty years of abandonment, the building was fully restored in 2016 and 2017. The restoration respected what five centuries had left behind: the frescoes and wall paintings of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries were preserved, and today’s comfort was added around them without erasing them.
A house where arts and sciences already meet
Culture is not a visitor here. Since it opened, the house has hosted opera, painting and photography exhibitions, book launches, concerts, and residential courses that bring scientists and artists from many countries to Évora. That is the spirit of the Capital of Culture: a place where people meet, take their time and make something together.
Plan your stay for 2027
Évora expects many more visitors than usual in 2027, and the most central places to stay will fill first. If you are planning to come for the opening in February, for a particular event, or simply for a few unhurried days in the city, we recommend booking early. See our apartments, read about the history of the house and what to see in Évora, find out how to get here, or write to us at casamorgadoesporao.reservas@gmail.com.
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