Explore the “birthplace” of Portugal!
Guimarães is located in northern Portugal, northeast of the more famous Porto. The city was founded in the 9th century soon after the area was reconquered from the Moors. The city became the main seat of power for the County of Portugal, then part of the Kingdom of Asturias (Northern Spain).
In 1143, the county of Portugal achieved its independence from the Kingdom of Leon. Dom Afonso I, the first king of Portugal, had rebelled and declared himself king. A treaty sealed the deal. Portugal, under his reign, would reconquer lands from the Moors all the way to Lisbon, shaping what would become the country of Portugal.
Guimarães had served as the capital city of the County of Portugal and would be instrumental in the founding of the Kingdom of Portugal. Dom Afonso I was born there. Nearby, he would lead an army against his own mother, Theresa, Countess of Portugal, in 1128. Afonso’s army declared him king in 1139. A few years later, Portugal would be recognized as its own kingdom.
Guimarães starting off strong.
Fountain on the Largo de Toural.
More of the Largo de Toural.
The Torre da Alfândega (Customs Tower), the only remaining tower of the old medieval wall.
I love Portuguese tiled buildings. Very colorful.
Urban growth was controlled in the historic center of the city, leaving behind some much older stone buildings.
Largo da Oliveira, with the Old Town Council Chambers (Antigos Paços do Concelho) on the right.
Opposite the last photos is Nossa Senhora da Oliveira (Our Lady of the Olive Tree), a fine Gothic church built at the end of the 14th century.
A pretty standard three nave Gothic church.
Baptismal chapel.
The high altar area is pretty fancy.
The other side of the Old Town Council Chambers.
Praça de São Tiago. A bunch of restaurants are located around the plaza. Not much open in January though.
This town is fantastic.
Rua de Santa Maria, an old medieval street. The city’s elite would live in this area on the way to the castle.
Convent of Santa Claro, the current town hall.
Fantastic town, this one.
Guimarães is a great place for a wander, even when it’s raining.
So many fantastic buildings.
Palace of the Dukes of Braganza (Paço dos Duques de Bragança).
Built and used mostly in the 15th century. It went through a major restoration between 1937 and 1959 after it was used as a military barracks.
Several rooms are decorated. The artifacts come from a bunch of time periods and places.
The ceiling height in this room is insane.
Way up there.
The chapel was recreated to what a 15th century chapel would look like.
Little private balcony up there.
Not far away is this small Romanesque church, São Miguel do Castelo.
Most of the large stones in the floor are actually tombstones. The stones have worn down by quite a bit but there are some decorations on the stones still visible.
Now the Castle of Guimarães. The construction of the castle started around 950, to protect a monastery from Muslim incursions.
It’s a pretty big castle.
The center of the castle is dominated by the keep, which was constructed in the 1100s.
You can walk around the entire castle on the walls.
Ruins of a building on the medieval walls.
View of Guimarães, including São Miguel do Castelo and the palace.
Many buildings in Guimarães are stone on the bottom floor with upper floors made with rammed earth. This style was common in the 16th-17th centuries.
The very stunning Baroque Nossa Senhora da Consolação e Santos Passos (Our Lady of Consolation and Holy Steps). A really lovely garden really helps it stand out.
Baroque church incorporating the local granite used throughout town.
Tiny neighborhood street.
On the edge of the medieval town was the base of the town’s tanning industry. The tanning pits were irrigated by a small water channel where skins were put through the ringer to make leather. These medieval tanks were used until the mid-20th century.
The final stop of the day was São Francisco, a 14th century church with major Baroque renovations.
The chapels in this church are ridiculous.
High altar azulejos.
The sacristy is amazing. That ceiling is gorgeous.
The altar is covered in fine paintings.
The church was once part of a convent. You can see the cloister from the second floor.
Guimarães is a fantastic day trip from Porto, if you have a car. Unfortunately, Guimarães isn’t the easiest place to get to with public transportation. The fact that the historic core doesn’t have buildings more modern buildings than the 19th century is wonderful. It was so fun to explore.
Tune in for my next update where I will explore the Portuguese city of Porto!
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Start at the beginning of this adventure!
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