Guimarães
Alfonso I (Afonso Henriques), the first king of Portugal, is said to have been born here in Guimarães. Guimarães became the country's first capital and is considered the ‘cradle of the nation’.
The old Romanesque castle (Castelo) was built in the middle of the 10th century on the orders of the Galician countess Mumadona to protect the town and the monastery from attacks by the Normans and Arabs.
Henry of Burgundy's son, the future King Alfonso I, was born here in 1109. After defeating the Arabs and proclaiming the Kingdom of Portugal, an area between the rivers Minho and Tejo, he made Guimarães the first capital of Portugal in 1140. The keep (Torre de Menagem) is 27 metres high. The castle complex is considered one of the best-preserved Romanesque fortresses in Portugal.
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Paço Ducal
The Paço dos Duques de Bragança is very close to the Castelo:
The medieval palace was built by Afonso, the Count of Barcelos, in the Norman-Burgundian style, modelled on the French palace. Afonso later became the first Duke of Braganza. The palace is one of the most magnificent aristocratic residences of the 15th century. Today it houses a museum that offers an insight into the life of the Portuguese nobility during the Middle Ages.
Convento do Carmo
Construction of the church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo began in 1685 and lasted until 1727, with some neoclassical elements being added in the 19th century. On the outer wall next to the entrance is a large azulejo depicting Our Lady of Mount Carmel, after whom the church is named. Inside the church, gilded carvings shine on the altars and walls.
House with courtyard to the right of the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
The old town
The lovingly restored medieval old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.
The oldest street is the beautiful Rua de Santa Maria between the castle and palace ensemble and the central
Largo da Oliveira (Olive Tree Square) with the church Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira, which is well worth seeing.
Countess Mumadona Dias had a monastery built here around 960. The church houses the sacred Museo Alberto Sampaio. In front of
the west portal stands the Alpendre (1342), a square columned hall in Manueline-Gothic style.
Opposite is the former town hall Antigos paços do conselho (14th century, renovated in the 17th century).
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7) View from the town hall arcades to the Praca de São Tiago
Igreja da Misericórdia
The church in Rua Rainha Dona Maria II near Largo da Misericordia dates back to the 16th century. The interior, which consists of a single rectangular nave and a choir, features a barrel vault covered in stucco, the high altarpiece from the late 18th century, the pulpit from 1781 and the case of the Iberian organ.
Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira
The church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira has its origins in a monastery founded in the 10th century.
The building combines elements from different eras, with the Gothic style, which was introduced in the 14th century, standing out. The name ‘Nossa Senhora da Oliveira’ comes from an olive tree that stood in the square in front of the church.
Part of the Romanesque cloister is still preserved.
Igreja dos Santos-Passos
The baroque Igreja dos Santos Passos dating from 1769 stands at the south-eastern end of Largo do Brasil.
Largo do Brasil, looking northwest
