What to see in Guimaraes, itinerary including the main monuments and places of interest, including the Castle, the historic center with the Sanctuary of San Michele and the Palazzo dei Duchi di Braganza, as well as the Convent of Santa Chiara and the Church of San Francesco.
Tourist information
Tourists who come to Guimaraes easily notice the writing "Portugal was born here", placed at the entrance of this charming medieval town with ancient charm, where Alfonso Henriques, the first sovereign of the state, was born.
Henriques was born in the Vimaranes Castle, the name from which the place name derives.
This ancient manor is located north of the historic center, consisting of a magnificent urban network of medieval streets and squares, which has kept intact over time the charm of a glorious era for the town.
Only some parts of the castle have been preserved, including the Tower of Homage, seven minor towers and part of the walls.
Along the road, which slopes down to the center of Guimaraes, there is the Romanesque sanctuary of San Michele, whose construction dates back to the twelfth century.
In front of this graceful building with limited dimensions, stands the Palazzo dei Duchi di Braganza, an ancient feudal residence considered a valid example of the Gothic architecture typical of the early fifteenth century.
What see
Built using the Castles of the Loire in France as a model, it contains an interesting collection of tapestries and furniture, outside, from an appropriate distance, you can see the thirty-nine fireplaces made of brick.
From the Rua di Santa Maria, a street where the presence of medieval buildings conveys the feeling that time has stopped, you enter the Convent of Santa Chiara, the current seat of the Town Hall.
Some rooms of the nearby Church of Our Lady of Oliveira, from the 10th century, house the Alberto Sampaio Museum.
Noteworthy is the Romanesque cloister, dating from the mid-thirteenth century, the statue of Santa Margherita, from the fifteenth century, and the treasure of the church, including the beautiful chalice and a precious Gothic reliquary.
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Also worth seeing is the baroque church of Santos Pasos, the inn of Santa Maria de Costa, an ancient medieval convent, and the Penha Park, built on a mountain in a panoramic position.
The Church of San Francesco, from the fifteenth century and subsequently renovated in the seventeenth century, stands out for the azulejos that decorate the walls, where various scenes from the life of the saint are depicted, and for the remarkable Renaissance cloister with central fountain.
