The sunbaked plain of the Alentejo region in central Portugal is called planicie dourada (golden plain) by the Portuguese, and it is dotted with cork oak forests, vineyards, olive groves, and hilltop towns with whitewashed houses. 'Alentejo' means "beyond the Tagus River", and there is a raw beauty to this agricultural region that is particularly evident at sunset when the light is pale gold.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1497/skulls-temples--churches-a-visit-to-the-walled-cit/.