English

Of kings, bishops and monks
The middle ages
Guimarães has an interesting Gothic
civil building, the former paços do
concelho, with the arcade with pointed
arches that communicate the squares
of São Tiago and Oliveira. It also has
interesting religious constructions
in this style, specially the church of
Santa Maria da Oliveira, with its
peculiar façade with a retable-arch that
overlaps another one, identical, where
the access is opened. It is built in the
site of the former monastery, founded
by Mumadona Dias, who created
the city. In this same square there is
the padrão do Salado, a Gothic
shrine, commemorative of the battle
where the troops of king Afonso IV of
Portugal took part. The convents of
San Francisco and Santo Domingo
are found, as usual, out of the walls
of the city, and both had to be moved
in order to enlarge the wall, and then
rebuilt around 1400, although they
underwent important modifications in
modern times. Also from the beginning
of the 15th century is the ducal palace,
in the vicinities of the castle. Just as the
palace of Barcelos, its construction
was ordered by one of the richest
men of Portugal at the moment, the first
Duke of Bragança, Don Afonso. It has
a French inspiration, has four towers
and the walls between them enclose
a Gothic cloister. The building, despite
its majesty, was practically abandoned
when the dukes moved their residence
to the palace of Vila Viçosa in the
Alentejo. Restored since 1933 as the
official residence for the Portuguese
government, a part of its inside can be
visited and among its collections stand
out valuable tapestries.
It should not be forgotten the chapel
of San Juan in the cathedral of
Ourense, the best example of the
Galician flamboyant Gothic. It was
built at the end of the 15th century,
after the fights to get the control of
the city between the Count of Lemos
and the Count of Benavente who,
defeated, had to undertake the repairs
of the flaws in the northern façade of
the cathedral.
Church of Santa Maria Nossa Senhora da
Oliveira (Guimarães)
Castle and Palace of the Dukes of Bragança
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