VERNACULAR BRANDS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE.
With regard to the so-called Moorish chimneys that characterise the urban landscape of the Alentejo border region, the case of the artistic heritage of the town of Mourão (and the surrounding villages) is truly unique, where such pieces abound. In fact, dozens of these cylindrical chimneys have survived, with a markedly picturesque flavour. Their typologies, dimensions and uses are very diverse, but they all indicate reminiscences of an arcane late medieval and Gothic-Mudejar equipment that has remained popular over the centuries due to its attractive design and beautiful profiles.
This added value, which is quite rare at a national level, is distinctive in relation to neighbouring municipalities, which could mean, given the variety of their shapes, that these towering chimneys could be seen as a statutory prestige of some wealthier residents. They would also be used in “pig slaughterhouses”, another sign of prestige, with the added value of the smoke being completely expelled outside the houses.
If many “Moorish chimneys” have already been lost, due to negligence, lack of attention from guardians or demolition processes (as Túlio Espanca noted), what still remains of them in Mourão (and in Granja) constitutes a micro-artistic case that stands out as a strong identity note and that is, without a doubt, worthy of study and careful survey.

Prof. Dr. Vitor Serrão, Retired Professor of Art History