Alentejanas

Houses
The region of
Alentejo is an area
with plains and a
few shadows where
the sun
predominates.

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Characteristics

The typical Alentejo houses

are whitewashed to reflect the
sun. They have blue or yellow
bars, so that insects do not
enter so easily at home,
because they are attracted by
the white colour, so they are
on the doors an at the
windows.
 Construction

The old typical

Alentejo houses
were built with
materials of the
region: clay, lime,
sand and stone of
the region.
House Divisions

Generally speaking, the typical

Alentejana house was divided
by: kitchen (which also
functioned as a living room)
and bedrooms.
The house divisions
were dimly lit because
people did not have the
money to make bigger
windows. Some choose
to put one or two glass
tiles for the light to
enter.
 Rooms
The rooms were little
used, since they only
served to sleep. They
were also cold. The whole
house was cold, because
the floor was shale or
brick and the walls were
very thick, thus
preventing the heat
entered.
 Kitchen
In the kitchen they
had a large, wide
fireplace, where they
warmed and cooked.
The kitchen also
served as a room
where people stayed,
as it is the warmest
place in the house
(during the winter).
There were cases where
the people had a
basement to keep the
cattle because they
lived in hills.
In some houses,
people had ovens, to
make bread, cakes, or
others.