Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Praça Luís de Camões; 9am-noon & 2-5pm)
Powerful in its sobriety, this grey Gothic fortress
squats heavily over the central square. The earliest parts date from 1390 but it's also dot-
ted with Manueline and Renaissance ornamentation. The most striking feature in the im-
mense, granite interior is a four-storey Renaissance altarpiece attributed to Jean de Rouen
(João de Ruão).
Museu da Guarda
MUSEUM
(
http://museudaguarda.imc-ip.pt
;
Rua Alves Roçadas 30; adult/child €2/free, Sun morning free; 10am-5.30pm Tue-
Sun)
The museum occupies the severe, 17th-century Episcopal Seminary, adjacent to the
old bishop's palace. The collection runs from Bronze Age swords to Roman coins, from
Renaissance sculpture to 19th- and 20th-century Portuguese painting.
irregular hours)
features temporary art exhibitions. Check out its beautiful
patio.
Old Town
HISTORIC AREA
With its 16th-to-18th-century mansions and its overpowering cathedral,
Praça Luís de Camões
is the town's centrepiece. Plenty of medieval atmosphere survives in the cobblestone lanes
and huddled houses north of the cathedral, centred around Rua de São Vicente.
smiths' Tower; Rua Tenente Valadim)
is still in good condition. Two other surviving gates are
Porta
of Guarda's historic
judiaria
(Jewish quarter). Sharp-eyed visitors will notice crosses and
other symbols scratched into doorframes: these identified the homes of
marranos
(New
Christians) during the Inquisition.
TOWER
Torre de Menagem
( 10am-1pm & 2-6pm Apr-Oct, 9am-1pm & 2-5pm Nov-Mar)
Guarda's castle keep, on a hill-
top above the cathedral, is open for daily tours; visit for the views up top, all the way to
