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An example of 18th century architecture in Elvas, the Convento de São Paulo constitutes the fourth and last house of the Order of São Paulo that began to be built on October 28, 1679 and concluded on December 31, 1721.
After the extinction of religious orders, the convent entered a degradation process that culminated in the fire that definitively devastated it. The church remained in the possession of the Brotherhood of the Third Order of São Domingos until 1886 and was, the following year, handed over to the Cavalry Regiment of Elvas which installed the military court in it.
Located in the historic center of the city of Elvas, between walls next to the stronghold of the West of Fortaleza, it enjoys a unique environment.
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The site, extensively fortified from the 17th to 19th centuries, represents the largest bulwarked dry-ditch system in the world. Within its walls, the town contains barracks and other military buildings as well as churches and monasteries. While Elvas contains remains dating back to the 10th century ad, its fortification began when Portugal regained independence in 1640. The fortifications designed by Dutch Jesuit padre Cosmander represent the best surviving example of the Dutch school of fortifications anywhere. The site also contains the Amoreira aqueduct, built to enable the stronghold to withstand lengthy sieges.UNESCO
