Portalegre's old town is characterised by a mish-mash of narrow cobbled streets with crumbling whitewashed buildings and the remnants of medieval fortifications. At the heart of the old town sitting on the highest elevation are the ruins of a 13th-century castle. During medieval times Portalegre had great strategic importance as a frontier town to neighbouring Spain and was thus heavily fortified.

CASTLE

During the war with Napoleon the castle served as a barracks for British troops however by the mid-eighteenth century, Portalegre's focus shifted from defence to commerce. An economic boom resulting from its fabric and silk trades has left a legacy of fine late Renaissance and Baroque buildings in the city, from grand mercantile palaces to fine churches and elegant squares. Much of the city's fortifications were removed to make way for a new street layout or integrated into new buildings. Today there's a contemporary vistor centre constructed from glass, slate and wood located in the castle courtyard. Spread over three floors the building allows insight into the original structure and tantalising views from some of the windows. The visitor centre incororates a Temporary Exhibition Gallery and a walkway to the keep.

Tuesday – Sunday: 9h30 – 13h00/14h30 – 18h00, Monday: CLOSED | FREE
Rua Luís Barahona, Portalegre, Alentejo, Portugal. | 39° 17' 25.7" N | 07° 25' 50.7" W
+351 245 307 540 | castelo@cm-portalegre.pt

CATHEDRAL (SÉ)

The pyramidal bell towers of the Cathedral (Sé) dominate Portalegre's skyline and lies on the west side of the Praça do Município. The Cathedral dates from 1556 when the first foundation stones were laid over the remains of the church of Santa Maria do Castelo on the behest of king João III. Work was finally completed in 1575 when the Cathedral was dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, the town’s patron saint.

The building's original late Renaissance style has undergone many alterations over the aeons, most dramatically the Baroque styling of the main portal and façade and the domineering bell towers added in the 18th century.

Its ripple-aisled Renaissance interior houses an altarpiece of eight panels featuring 96 mainly Mannerist paintings, the largest collection in Portugal. The walls are adorned with remarkable 16th-century azulejo tiles. On display, there are several artworks and sculptures by prominent artists such as Francisco Venegas, Gaspar Coelho, Fernão Gomes, Diogo Teixeira, Pedro Álvares Pereira and Simão Rodrigues.

Tuesday: 08h15 – 12h00, Wednesday – Sunday: 08h15 – 12h00/14h30 – 18h00, Monday: CLOSED | FREE
Praça do Município, 7300-110 Portalegre, Portugal. | 39° 17' 28.4" N | 07° 26' 01.1" W
+351 245 309 480

Municipal Museum

Alongside the cathedral is an eighteenth-century mansion which was once an old Diocesan Seminary and now houses the Museu Municipal. The building dates back to the late 16th century but was remodelled in 1765 by bishop João de Azevedo, whose coat of arms is emblazoned on the main façade. The museum's collection consists of religious artefacts sourced from the convents of Portalegre, in particular, the Convents of São Bernardo and Santa Clara in addition to private collections donated to the Museum. The most notable collections come from Dr Cayola Zagallo, who founded the museum in the 1960s, a curious selection of snuff boxes and Chinese porcelain donated by José de Andrade Sequeira, a Naval Medical Captain, who collected while on his voyages. The religious artefacts on display include a 16th-century Renaissance-style Italian armoire, the low-relief 15th-century gothic "Piety", the Italian 18th-century ivory high-reliefs, the Indo-Portuguese Our Lady of Conception from the 17th century and the 16th-century painting of Our Lady of Patience, in which Christ sits in contemplation.

Tuesday – Sunday: 09h00 – 13h00/14h30 – 17h00, Monday: CLOSED | FREE
Rua José Maria da Rosa, 7300-256 Portalegre, Portugal. | 39° 17' 29.0" N | 07° 26' 01.2" W
+351 245 307 525 | museu.municipal@cm-portalegre.pt | Website

CONVENTO DE SÃO BERNARDO

The Convento de São Bernardo is one of Portalegre's seven convents and is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. The convent has an assortment of architectural styles varying from 16th-century Manueline, from the time of construction, to 18th-century Baroque. Today the convent serves no religious purpose following the dissolution of the monasteries in 1834. However, when it was built in 1572, the convent housed "maidens without dowry" who would serve as nuns. Following a period of functioning as the city's museum, the convent became a training college for the Republican Guard (GNR: Guarda Nacional Republicana) in 1911. Certain areas of the convent are open to the public, such as the cloisters, chapterhouse, chapel and corridors and are well worth your time and effort.

The walls of the arched corridors are adorned with beautiful 18th-century azulejo panels depicting scenes from St Bernardo's life. There are two cloisters, one Manueline and the other Renaissance. The larger of the two incorporates a beautiful marble fountain at its centre. There is also a small chapel which houses the fine 16th-century marble pulpit crafted by French sculptor, Nicolau de Chantereine, with its decorative gargoyles. The chapel is also the resting place of the bishop who founded the convent, Jorge de Melo. It is said his marble tomb is one of the largest and most sumptuous in all of Portugal. It was once described by King Philip II of Spain as "such a great cage for such a small bird".

Daily: 09h00 – 12h30/14h00 – 19h00 | FREE
Avenida George Robinson, 7300-070, Portalegre, Portugal. | 39° 17' 44.6" N | 07° 25' 37.2" W
+351 245 307 400

Gui Fino Tapestry Museum

Portalegre's prominent tapestry factory, the last of the town's huge textile industry whose heyday was during the 17th and 18th centuries, occupies the Jesuit Cológio de São Sebastião monastery. The building has been tastefully restored and now serves as council offices. Since 2001 this fine building is also home to the Museu da Tapeçaria de Portalegre Guy Fino or Gui Fino Tapestry Museum, named after its founder. The museum outlines the history of Portalegre's famous tapestry tradition incorporating examples of antique looms and samples of 5000 colours of wool used. Each tapestry is individually crafted using a hand loom technique that allows the gradations and shades of a painting or a drawing to be perfectly reproduced. Manufacture continues and each tapestry is hand signed by the artist and is extremely valuable.

Tuesday – Sunday: 09h00 – 13h00/14h30 – 18h00, Monday: CLOSED | Adult: €2.10, Child: €1.00
9 Rua da Figueira, 7300-231 Portalegre, Portugal. | 39° 17' 33.4" N | 07° 25' 58.3" W
+351 245 307 530 | museu.tapecaria@cm-portalegre.pt | Website

A winding road takes you to the summit of the Serra de São Mamede where Marvão awaits to reward your efforts with amazing panoramas. The border town of Marvão feels remote and lost in a former epoch. Enclosed within the seventeenth-century walls are a hodge-podge of narrow cobbled roads that haven't changed for hundreds of years. The age-old buildings are whitewashed with granite window and door frames. The Castle in the village is built on top of a 13th-century original, which in places, was built into the living rock. There are a couple of museums to get a more in-depth insight into the town's history and a few craft shops to find a gift to take home. If you decide to stay more than a day you'll have Marvão more or less to yourself at night. Marvão does make a great base to spend a few days exploring the treasures found in the surrounding area.
[ More About ► ]

Pousada of Marvão - Hotel Santa Maria

The Pousada has been converted from two medieval buildings, parts of which date back to the 13th century. [ More About ► ]

Twenty kilometres (12mi) north of Portalegre, the small town of Castelo de Vide is one of the gems of the Alto Alentejo. The town's castle sits majestically on the tallest peak for miles around and the picturesque white-washed town surrounds it. The streets are narrow and cobbled. There's a large Judiaria (Jewish quarter) here and the synagogue dates from the 13th century. Vibrant colours burst out of flower boxes and climbing vines. Small quaint squares and shaded gardens kept cool with age-old water fountains. Castelo de Vide has preserved its medieval layout and architecture and oozes old-timey charm. Spend a day aimlessly wandering the warren of streets or stay a couple of days to explore the surrounding area that's full of megalithic monuments, vestiges of Roman occupation and time-defiant castles. [ More About ► ]