Minho Province Part I: Guimarães, Portugal.
Our stop at the city of Porto, Portugal found us on an excursion bus traveling through Minho Province to visit the northern region cities of Braga and Guimarães. Recognized for its remarkable authenticity, Guimarães’ historic city center earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2001 as a quintessential example of a medieval town maturing into a modern European city. Our walks along narrow centuries-old streets truly made us feel we were in Europe. It was our first trip to Portugal.
The halls of the Convento de Santo António dos Capuchos could tell many tales of both devotion and social service. Unfortunately, we were not able to hear any of those stories, we were only given a few moments to photograph the beautiful exterior of this building.
Constructed in the 17th century, this serene convent served as a haven for Capuchin friars, its halls were no doubt filled with prayers and quiet contemplation. In 1842, its destiny intertwined with another noble mission: the Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Porto, an institution dedicated to public charity and social assistance. Founded in 1498 by King D. Manuel I and Queen Leonor, the Santa Casa da Misericórdia continues to illuminate the lives of countless Portuguese individuals even today.
A short walk from the convent, a monument came into view. The statue depicts the first king of Portugal. According to Wikipedia, Afonso I, born in Guimarães, also known as Afonso Henriques and nicknamed “The Conqueror” and “The Founder,” was a pivotal figure in Portuguese history. He ruled as the first King of Portugal from 1139 until he died in 1185, playing a crucial role in establishing the country’s independence and laying the foundation for its future growth and prosperity.
Near some imposing buildings, I found this beautiful tree-lined street. I would soon discover that the street forms one side of Largo Martins Sarmento, a charming square located near the convent, a castle thought to be the birthplace of King Alfonso I, and a 14th-century palace. Named after archaeologist Francisco Martins Sarmento, the square offers a glimpse into the city’s rich history and architectural heritage.
Our tour guide led us behind a stand of trees where we could see a majestic fortress perched atop a granite hill. We learned (with a little help from Internet research), about the castle. Constructed in the 10th century, the castle initially served as a defensive outpost against Moorish and Norsemen attacks. Its early incarnation likely resembled a fortified tower, but over centuries, it transformed into the imposing structure that still stands today.
Guimarães Castle witnessed pivotal moments in the formation of Portugal. Within its walls, Afonso Henriques, later known as Portugal’s first king, is believed to have been born. In 1128, he achieved a critical victory here at the Battle of São Mamede, solidifying his independence from León and paving the way for Portuguese sovereignty. Unfortunately for us, due to our heavy schedule of exterior city historical architecture, yet again, we didn’t get to go inside.
Our final stop on the tour of Guimarães brought us to the city center. We walked down the narrow streets and were given a little time to visit some of the shops in the area. We would soon find ourselves back on the tour bus to visit Braga’s Bom Jesus do Monte (Good Jesus of the Mountain), but that’s a story for another time.
My Flickr site features 2K HD versions of the photos. If you would like to see the photographic statistics or simply pixel peep, you can visit my Flickr album here.
John Steiner
Flare Legend Adventures
I’m grinding my teeth with annoyance for you, John. It really is a lovely city and such a shame to be whizzed round it, but you took some wonderful photos while there. I would have liked an overnight stay, but we visited by train from Porto. Nevertheless we had time to explore the castle and church and stroll around absorbing atmosphere.
Such is the genre of cruise ship tours. They are all a gamble. Some too heavy on the “shopping”, too light on the education. Some, a whirlwind of sights with little corresponding background.
Still, I often lean toward these tours for photography and hope to get the background later from the Internet.
Sometimes, though, they try to cover too many places in too little time.
Exactly. We spent 3 days in Braga and still didn’t see everything. Bom Jesus was magnificent though.
Bem vindo à Portugal! Hope that you have a lovely time here.
Thanks, it was a good introduction with more than one cruise stop in the country. We hope to return again sometime.
This looks a fascinating town – thanks for taking us. I particularly like the castle. It’s a ‘proper’ castle, isn’t it?
Oh, Margaret, you are right. When I saw it, I knew, as you said, that it is a proper castle.
I love Guimarães, John. Haven’t been in a few good years. It’s a shame you didn’t manage to visit more, the palace is remarkable.
I know the limits of time and trying to cover too much, plus the length of the bus ride.
Combining a visit here and Braga might better have served their customers with a visit to either one, then on another excursion to the other. Of course, that would require a second visit to Porto on a different cruise.
Nice post ✍️
Thanks!
That looks like a great place to explore John.
It truly gave me the feel of being in Europe. Hectic as it was, the sights were interesting, however fleeting.
I find these whistle-stop tours so frustrating as like you I would rather see inside the buildings, or at least stop long enough to hear more about them. And tt seems a waste of limited time to be encouraged to shop more than to sightsee. Maybe the company should consider a tour to just one of these places instead of trying to squeeze in two? This is why we like to travel with a private guide if possible (more flexibility) or with none at all 🙂 But I know on a cruise that is rarely feasible.
I also thought breaking this into two excursions would be better. We have learned the value of private and limited-guest tours in the last couple of years. We now plan to arrive in the departure city two days early. That gives us one full day to hire a tour company. We did the same on the arrival city when it was a different city from departure.
Those one-day tours give us much more flexibility with what we want to see or to skip.
On the cruise, we know what we are in for, and we take what we get, and I hope to capture some photos to share.
You did a great photographic job from a tour bus John. The ship’s tours give you a taste, but if you want a full meal, you do need to go back. Sometimes a taste will do. Thanks for taking the time to give us a history lesson also.
Taste is a good way to describe ship based tours. I like to think I will come to visit longer, but I know that the glimpse is all I will get.
😊
Thanks for sharing… a new place for me
I would love to go back and see more detail.
What an exquisite place, I love the cleanliness that shows the care the city gets.
The city is a beautiful place to visit, as is it’s neighbor, Braga.
Wonderful to see such a rich history so beautifully preserved. Thanks for the detailed information and fantastic images, John!
Thanks for the compliment, Dries!
I loved that city! Your photos are great.
Thanks, Egidio!
[…] Photos by Johnbo […]
The more I see Portugal, the better I like it. What a beautiful photo journey, John. I don’t know how you choose which ones to share from all your pictures! 🙂
Thanks, Marsha. Sometimes I spend a lot of time processing an image only to find a bit further down the gallery, a better image of the same subject. >grin<
LOL, I’ve done that, too! 🙂 I have labeled some of my pictures in Lightroom with 1-5 stars, but that doesn’t always hold true. I have been known to change my mind.