Explore the best places
Heritage in Portugal
Casa dos Arcos / Biblioteca Municipal Alves Mateus
- heritage
Rua Santa Columba
3440-361, Santa Comba Dão
A manor house characterized by its arcaded structure, supporting a first floor with a colonnaded balcony, connected to a unique and monumental chimney. It features an attached chapel with a single nave and a chancel. Notable are the frescoes of perspective architecture on the vault and Rococo carving elements with fine scrolls, plant bands, and floral garlands in the chapel. Currently, the Municipal Library is located on the first floor.
Museu Municipal de Santiago do Cacém
- heritage
Praça do Município
7540-136, Santiago do Cacém
Housed in the former county jail building, built in 1844, across from City Hall, here you can explore a remarkable archaeological collection that traces the human presence in the region, from the Paleolithic to the medieval period. Of particular note is Miróbriga, an important Roman settlement, which occupies a special place in this museum, with a dedicated room where you can view exhumed pieces.
Ruínas Romanas de Miróbriga
- heritage
Estrada das Cumeadas - EM550
7540-236, Santiago do Cacém
A fortified settlement from the Late Bronze and Iron Ages, upon which a city was built in Roman times. Temples, a commercial area, baths, pavements, and a hippodrome, among other remains, are evident. Of note is the ancient spectacle site, the Roman circus, with a capacity of 25,000 people.
Igreja Matriz de Santiago do Cacém/ Tesouro da Colegiada de Santiago
- heritage
Rua do Castelo
7540, Santiago do Cacém
This church's highlights include the ogival side portico, the vault covering the high choir, and the 14th-century Gothic stone high relief depicting Santiago fighting the Moors. Over the centuries, the building underwent alterations, revealing vestiges from various periods. The four sections of the central nave and side naves, separated by broken arches on octagonal pillars with cubic capitals, the Porta do Sol (Sun Gate) with its broken archivolt, the high relief in the subchoir, and the tomb of Álvaro Mendes Brito are some examples of the Gothic style. The Manueline style is evident in the structure of the original transept, …
Castelo de Santiago do Cacém
- heritage
Rua de Santiago
7540, Santiago do Cacém
This castle, which dominates the town, has a rectangular plan and its foundation is attributed to the Islamic period. Definitely conquered from the Moors in 1217, King Afonso II ordered the construction of a castle there, which he donated to the Order of Santiago. Over time, and due to its loss of military function, it began to deteriorate. Within the wall are remains of the citadel, a cistern, and other buildings.
Moinho da Quintinha/ Cumeada
- heritage
Estrada das Cumeadas
7540, Santiago do Cacém
A masonry mill with a truncated cone-shaped tower and a rotating cap driven by a windlass. It has been in operation since 1982. Whenever weather permits, tourists can observe the traditional grain milling process. At the beginning of this century, the Quintinha Mill is the only example in Portugal of the beginnings of a milling school.
Rota da Cortiça
- heritage
Rua Gago Coutinho, 18
8150-151, São Brás de Alportel
The Cork Route takes you on a journey through the mysteries of the ancient relationship between humans and the cork oak. Through the suggested routes, you'll learn about the stories, techniques of preparing and transforming cork, a popular culture intrinsically linked to this region. Cork is the common thread in six areas of interest: heritage, nature, rural life, tradition, innovation, and knowledge. Each hub explores the cork cycle in its various aspects, from the cork oak forest to the factory, and explores beautiful landscapes. It is uniquely adapted for people with reduced mobility and the blind.
Porta da Zona Rural do Palácio Episcopal
- heritage
Rua da Calcadinha Romana
8150, São Brás de Alportel
Monumental portal with a triangular pediment, with an inscription from 1903. The Episcopal Palace was built between the 17th and 18th centuries for the bishops of the Algarve.
Museu Etnográfico do Trajo Algarvio
- heritage
Rua Doutor José Dias Sancho, 61
8150-141, São Brás de Alportel
The museum is housed in a building representative of late 19th-century bourgeois architecture. The exhibits include a display of traditional Algarve costumes from the 19th and 20th centuries and a collection of popular religious sculptures. Around twenty antique Algarve vehicles are on display on the farm's premises. There is also an exhibition of harnesses and agricultural implements and an area dedicated to cork.
Calçadinha de São Brás de Alportel
- heritage
Rua da Calçadinha Romana
8150, São Brás de Alportel
A Roman-medieval road, a testament to the earliest trade flows in the area. Currently, two sections of the road are uncovered: Section A, 100 meters long, and Section B, 550 meters long.