Lamego is a charming town in the middle of the vineyard-covered hills of the Alto Douro. The town is famous for its baroque staircase that leads to the beautiful church of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios on the steep Santo Estêvão hill.
Lamego may be small, but it has a rich history. It was here that Alfonso I was crowned Portugal's first king in 1139. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Lamego experienced its heyday as a wine producer. Even today, the town is proud of its tangy Raposeira wines.
Its rich history is reflected in numerous sights. These include a Moorish castle, a Gothic cathedral and elegant manor houses from the 18th century. The magnificent Avenida runs the length of the city. It is lined with monuments, street cafés and market stalls where you can buy traditional smoked sausage and meat products from the region.
The staircase
The stairway to heaven with its 626 steps is divided into nine flights of stairs, which are decorated with chapels, statues, fountains and obelisks. In some places it is decorated with large azulejos.
On one of these levels, the so-called ‘Court of the Kings’, you can see the images of the eighteen kings of Israel, who belong to the family tree of the Virgin Mary. At the foot of the stairs are four figures representing the four seasons.
The climb is a real challenge in the summer heat. Once you have caught your breath at the top, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the city of Lamego and the surrounding hills. We took the bus up and walked down, which was much easier.
Pilgrimage church Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
Originally, there was a chapel on this site from 1361, which was dedicated to St Stephen. In the 16th century, the church was in danger of falling into disrepair, so it was demolished (1568) and the construction of a new church began on the initiative of the Bishop of Lamego. An image of the Virgin and Child was placed in the new chapel.
Over time, devotion to St Stephen declined and was replaced by devotion to the Virgin Mary. The devotion to Our Lady of Remedies (Nossa Senhora dos Remédios) arose from the devotion of those who turned to her in search of relief from their illnesses.
The baroque or rococo style façade (‘rocaille’) is flanked by bell towers. The church consists of a single nave and the walls are completely covered with white and blue tiles from the eighteenth century. The main altar has an eighteenth-century altarpiece with gold carvings and four Solomonic columns. On the main altar is the wooden carved statue of Our Lady of Remedies with the infant Jesus.
Pictures of the city
From the staircase, we walked through the city to the Gothic cathedral.
Gothic cathedral, Sé Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Assunção
The church dates back to the reign of Alfonso Henriques. The portal façade of the three-nave cathedral without
an apse gives a Gothic impression from the outside. The portal jambs are decorated with small human figures,
mythical creatures and plant tendrils. The tracery of the large west window already shows Renaissance forms.
The interior of the building is also clearly characterised by the straight lines and clarity of Renaissance art.
The magnificent ceiling frescoes are by the Italian artist Nicolau Nasoni.
