Praça do Giraldo is the main square of Évora and the natural centre of any visit. It's a wide, arcaded space with a 16th-century marble fountain at its centre and café terraces under the arches — the perfect place to eat a pastel de nata and watch the city go about its business before heading into the maze of lanes beyond.
The square has had more dramatic uses. During the Inquisition, autos-da-fé were held here, with crowds gathering to watch heretics condemned. In 1483, the Duke of Viseu was stabbed to death in the palace on the square's north side by King João II in person — the king, apparently, did not trust anyone else with the job. The Igreja de Santo Antão on the north side of the square is a fine 16th-century church worth a quick look inside for its proportions and the azulejo (tile) work.