Münzer in Évora - Nov.16-26

Münzer:
[The Road to Lisbon]: Passing the border of the Kingdom of Castile and entering into that of Portugal, we arrived at the stronghold of Serpa.
From there, twelve long leagues away, was the city of Évora. From Seville to Évora the distance is forty-two very long leagues, which we traversed with much effort, riding from three or four hours before dawn until very late at night, so that we arrived at Évora—where the King of Portugal was residing—on November 16th.
There, outside the walls, in the church of Saint Blaise, we saw part of a snakeskin, brought from Guinea of Ethiopia, which was thirty palmos long and the thickness of a man, which was killed by fire-arrows. They unrolled it from its neck to its tail, and this part of the skin was painted of such varied and handsome colors sprinkled like stars and gilded spots, and it caused much admiration. That skin measured twenty-two palmos and they assured us that it devoured men grasping them with spirals of its tail, and that it fought with elephants.
In Évora there is also a beautiful royal palace and a very lovely vaulted church, that is the Episcopal seat, and which has a magnificent cloister, in which we walked as on a highway, checking out the situation of this city, that is bigger than Ulm. We also saw a young and handsome camel in the King's patio, which he had had brought from Africa, where they are abundant.

What Münzer Saw:
At Évora, Münzer fulfilled one of the primary purposes of his journey: to meet with the Portuguese King João II (probably on behalf of the Emperor Maximilian) to discuss matters of cartography and exploration. These were apparently secret talks. Münzer spent a week in the town, meeting with the King on diverse occasions. But he is silent about the subject of these talks.
The church of Saint Blaise, just outside the extensive city walls that exist to the present, also is still there, but we were unable to find out if there was still a big snakeskin inside.
The Cathedral he saw is still there; it has undergone a thoughtful restoration, and the interior, exterior and cloister are still essentially the same. The view from the top, however, is somewhat different. The residence where Münzer met the King and saw the camel are long gone.

What Münzer Could Have Seen: (June 15-16, 2011)
Not too much pre 16th-century material remains. Portugal, like Seville, boomed with its African, Asian and American explorations after Münzer left; though the snakeskin was probably an early trophy of Portuguese explorations along the African coasts.
The Franciscan church was already in existence, as was the ivory French Virgin, whose whole front opens up to reveal scenes from her life, now in the Cathedral museum.

What Münzer Never Would Have Seen:
Portuguese trade with China began in the mid 16th Century. Now it’s everywhere, and the Chinese have the advantage.