This is one of the most beautiful Portuguese Romanesque monuments, with an external appearance resembling a fortified church. The current construction began in 1162, during the reign of King Afonso Henriques. It served as the Episcopal See until 1772 and subsequently belonged to the Misericórdia (a charitable institution) until 1778. From 1785 to 1816 it was occupied by the Third Order of Saint Francis, and after that date it became the seat of the parish of São Cristóvão. The main façade features a magnificent portal, formed by arches supported by columns with decorated capitals. The 13th-century cloister was the first …

It initially belonged to the Order of the Temple and passed, in the reign of King Dinis, to the Order of Christ. It is one of the main monuments of national architecture, where all the aesthetic stages, from the 12th to the 18th century, are profusely documented. The Cloister of King João III stands out, the main Cloister of the Convent of Christ, considered the most monumental and beautiful work of the Renaissance, carried out by the architect Diogo de Torralva. Also noteworthy are the Cloister of Washings and the Cloister of King Henrique, which date back to the first …

About 1000 meters southwest of the village of Pitões das Júnias and camouflaged by a dense oak is the town abandoned of Gerez. Traces remain of about 40 houses of quadrangular, built with granite blocks, some crudely equipped. The streets between the houses are also well preserved, and still retain the lajeado. The spacing between the houses is about 3\/4 feet, some retain just over a metre of wall, but you can imagine, without great efforts the architecture of this village. The Oaks are invading gradually the interior of each House, giving this place a rare beauty. Is the Medieval …

Macieira de Alcoba is a typical village at about 18 km from the town of Águeda. Located on the high lands of the Caramulo mountain, between the Águeda river and the Alcofra brook, it includes the traditional Urgueira village (just a little more than 10 inhabitants), the highest villag in the parish. It is located on a rock, with just about 150 inhabitants that are mostly small farmers and shepherds. The 17th century mother church, the Urgueira communal oven and the chapel of Our Lady of Fátima satnd out, as well as the Macieira small dam, the Urgueira Park and …

Considered one of the prettiest gardens in Portugal, the Gardens of the Casa da Ínsua (House of Ínsua) belong to a manor, the House of Ínsua. Its construction was ordered, in the second half of the 18th century, by Luís de Albuquerque de Mello Pereira e Cáceres, governor and captain general of Mato Grosso, in Brazil. The gardens are remarkable for their extension, their originality and the variety of species. They stand out for the rare tall trees (California sequoias, English pine trees, Australian eucaliptus), some of them approximately 200 years old, and mostly for the wide variety of plants …

This is one of the most beautiful city parks in Coimbra, with flowerbeds and leafy trees, dedicated to leisure. The Mondego River forms the backdrop. It features some statuary and a beautiful bandstand by the architect Silva Pinto. On sunny days, there are plenty of activities for all tastes and ages. Electric cars and scooters, inflatable boats, canoes or pedal boats, pedal karts, or a ride on the Barca Serrana (a traditional boat) are some suggestions. If you prefer, go for a run or a bike ride on the four-kilometer path and, to relax, choose one of the terraces overlooking …

The medieval fortress, comprising the castle and the urban enclosure, was built during the reign of King Dinis and completed during the reign of Alfonso IV in 1327. In the 17th century, expansion work was carried out on the fortification surrounding the town up to the current garden boundary. The São Lourenço Fort was built in the 18th century, when the bastioned fortification was extended with the Loureiros Wall. The fortress was remarkably large, surrounding almost the entire town. Located on one of the highest hills in the Serra de São Mamede, it served as a watchtower on one of …

This castro, classified as Property in the public interest, is an old fortified settlement where the walls, with interior access ramps, and remains of circular and rectangular constructions placed uncovered in the course of numerous excavations carried out by Santos Júnior and his team from the 50 years of the 20th century. The testimonies collected materials, pieces of pottery, coins and fibulae, contextualize the occupation of this village in the iron age and during the period of Romanisation. But, according to sources and Andrade (2005), accepting ID that Almeida Fernandes (1968) does a lot with the pagus Beresi ' Suebic …

In this space, housed in a former sugar mill founded in 1822, you will learn about the history of the paper industry. The collections encompass the entire municipality of Santa Maria da Feira, where the paper industry has been a fundamental driver of the economy since 1708. In addition to artifacts and machinery, the watermark exhibition will highlight the different types of watermarks created by paper manufacturers in the Santa Maria region. Among the vast documentary collection, the collection of different paper qualities stands out, as well as watermarked papers from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, representative of the …

More than a café, Majestic symbolizes an important part of the city's history. It was inaugurated on December 17, 1921, under the name of Elite. Despite the frenzy of the inauguration, this name did not last, changing from Elite to Majestic, a name more appropriate to the spirit of the regulars. Restored in the early 1990s, it consists of a large rectangular room where, on both sides, there are benches in engraved leather, in front of which are placed tables and chairs. The plaster ceilings are meticulously worked, mirrors are placed on the walls, the floor is marble and an …