The History of the Pousada Nossa Sra. da Assunção:
From the reconstruction of a 16th century monastery, located in an Arraiolos´ valley, is the Pousada, an example of the perfect combination of traditional and modern architectural elements in Portugal. It is also a good example of the possibility of adapting the austerity of a convent to the needs of nowadays, being a project of the architect José Paulo dos Santos.
About the convent´s history, it is known that the construction started on the monarchy of D. João III, more precisely on 14th August 1527, the day before Nossa Sra. da Assunção holiday, being the convent dedicated to this saint. In here, the Lóios Order lived for a long time.
The cloister is from the year of 1575 and the church from 1585. As history tells, it was a tradition to walk to the valley on Nossa Sra. da Assunção holiday, and then drink the water of the fountain with the same name and pick a piece of a tree that existed there. It was also usual, the friars throwing from the cloister a cake called “Rosca”. One decade before the extinction of the Lóios Order, this tradition was substituted by the delivery of bread at all houses.
On 1834, with the Liberals command, like Joaquim António de Aguiar, known as the Friars Killer, all the convents and monasteries were closed with the intention of separating religion from politics. However, the feminine orders had authorization to keep the convents till the death of the last nun.
On 1980, the convent was acquired by the Government, being ruined by that time, and 25 years later, on 1995, it was reconstructed to become a Pousada de Portugal.