Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the high choir stalls are the work of 18th-century Italian baroque architect Nicolau
Nasoni, who left his mark all over Porto. With luck you will find the door open to the
peaceful 16th-century cloisters, located just around the corner.
CHURCH
Igreja Santa Maria de Almacave
(Rua das Cortes 2; 8am-noon & 4-7pm)
This unassuming little church is Lamego's oldest sur-
viving building, much of it dating back to the 12th century. It's thought that after winning
independence from Spain, Portugal's first king assembled his initial
cortes
(an early ver-
sion of Portugal's proto-democratic assembly of nobles and clergy) here from 1142 to
1144. It occupies the site of a Moorish cemetery; some of its grave markers are now in the
Museu de Lamego.
MUSEUM
Museu de Lamego
(Largo de Camôes; admission €2; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun)
Occupying a grand, 18th-century Episcopal
palace, the Museu de Lamego is one of Portugal's finest regional museums. The collection
features five entrancing works by renowned 16th-century Portuguese painter Vasco
Fernandes (Grão Vasco), richly worked Brussels tapestries from the same period, and an
extraordinarily diverse collection of heavily gilded 17th-century c hapels rescued in their
entirety from the long-gone Convento das Chagas.
CASTLE
Castelo
(Rua do Castelo; admission by donation; 10am-12.30pm & 2-5.30pm)
Climb the narrow, winding Rua
da Olaria to the modest medieval castle, encircled by a clutch of ancient stone houses.
What little remains - some walls and a tower - has belonged to the Boy Scouts ever since
their mammoth 1970s effort to clear the site after years of use as a glorified rubbish tip.
Unfortunately, it isn't always open. Still, walk through narrow stone lanes and you'll be
treated to glorious views from the castle's perch.
Festivals & Events
Lamego's biggest party, the
Festa de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
, runs for several weeks from
late August to mid-September. In an afternoon procession on 8 September, ox-drawn carts
rattle through the streets carrying
tableaux vivants
(religious scenes represented by cos-
tumed people), and devotees slowly ascend the stairway on their knees. Less-pious events
in the run-up include rock concerts, folk dancing, car racing, parades and at least one all-
night party.
