Portalegre is not on the regular tourist route (most of the Alentenjo isn’t either, with the exception of Évora, a Unesco World Heritage site). Not to be missed is the tapestry museum. Enlargements of modern paintings, approved by the artists, are on display. We were lucky to be offered a private tour by a young docent. We took no photos of these works, though have included a couple from the museum’s website. The photos do not show the fine details of the hand-looming, the thousands (or millions!) of color variations, the subtleties of design. Guy Fino and Manuel Celestino began a tapestry factory in 1948 using special hand-weaving techniques, including using eight threads on the weft on vertical looms. While the number of women weavers was in the hundreds just decades ago, now there are only three. Still, young women continue to learn the technique. To see and read more, go to Manufactura de Tapeçarias de Portalegre.