The Cistercian Monastery of São Bento de Cástris, located on a small hill within the urban perimeter of Évora, is one of the first female convent foundations in the south of the country and the first in Évora.
Although there is no certainty as to the date of its foundation, the document requesting the adoption of the Cistercian rule by the Pope and the adoption of the first abbess, Domingas Soeira, dates back to the 13th century. The foundation of the church, built on an old chapel dedicated to St. Benedict, dates back to 1328.
This large building is visible from several campaigns of construction that have altered it over time, and the architecture of the late Gothic Mudejar style, characteristic of the 15th and 16th centuries, is what best characterizes it. Of this vast heritage site, the highlights are the church, the cloister, the chapter house, the refectory and its vast walled enclosure, covering approximately 30 hectares.
The monument lost its original purpose in 1890, the date of the death of the last nun, Joana Isabel Baptista, and passed into the possession of the State. Since then, it has had several uses, having served until a few years ago as a male Casa Pia. It was also an Agricultural School and throughout the 20th century it was an important recreational spot for the people of Évora.