Palaces and Churches

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Each one with a different story

•Alcobaça

Ovar

•This sanctuary was built in 1722, in the surroundings of the city of Braga. Its name means Good Jesus of the Hill.

•It is a pilgrimage site with a monumental Baroque stairway that climbs 116 metres (381 feet).

Sanctuary

of Bom Jesus

doMont

e

Ovar church

São Gonçalo de Amarante church

Guarda cathedral

Santo Ildefonso church, Porto

Santa Clara church, PortoSão Francisco church, Porto

• Santa Maria da Vitória, more commonly known as Batalha Monastery, is one of the best and original examples of Late Gothic architecture in Portugal, intermingled with the Manueline style.

• It was built to thank the Virgin Mary for the Portuguese victory over the Castilians in the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385, fulfilling a promise of King John I of Portugal.

Batalha Monastery

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The baker of Aljubarrota, is a legendary woman, whose name is associated with the victory against the Castilian forces in the battle of Aljubarrota (1385). With its baker's shovel, she killed seven Spaniards she found hidden in a furnace.

The Baker of AljubarrotaComenius Project “Windows on Europe”

•Mafra National Palace is a monumental Baroque Italianized Neoclassical palace-monastery located in Mafra, some 28 kilometres from Lisbon. Its dimensions are so huge that it dwarfs the city.

•The palace, which also served as a Franciscan monastery, was built during the reign of King John V (1707–1750).

Convento de Mafra

•The palace-monastery was built in consequence of a vow made by the king in 1711, who promised to build a convent if his wife, the Queen Mary Anne of Austria, gave him descendants.

•This story is told in the book “Memorial do Convento” (Baltasar and Blimunda), by the Nobel prize laureate, José Saramago

Convento de Mafra

• The greatest treasure of Mafra is its library, with marble floors, shelves in the Rococo style

•and a collection of over 36,000 books, thanks to the efforts of the Franciscan Order.

•The Sanctuary of Fátima is a Roman Catholic Marian basilica in Fátima. Its construction began in 1928 and was finished in1953.•It was built at the site of the Marian apparitions reported by three children in 1917.

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima

Shepherds of Fátima

•The Three Little Shepherds were the three children who witnessed the apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima , made between 1916 and 1917 in Cova da Iria. Their names were: Lucia (aged 10), Francisco (9) and Jacinta (7).

•In 1917, the children watched six apparitions of Our Lady, between 13 May and 13 October.

Graves of the little shepherds of Fatima Shrine in Fatima

•Alcobaça Monastery is a Medieval Monastery located in the town of Alcobaça. It was founded by the first Portuguese King, Afonso Henriques, in 1153.

•The church and monastery were the first Gothic buildings in Portugal. Due to its artistic and historical importance, it was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1989.

Alcobaça Monastery

Comenius Project “Windows on Europe”

Alcobaça Monastery

Comenius Project “Windows on Europe”

The love story of Pedro and Inês

Pedro (1320-1367) was a Portuguese prince and Inês was a Castillan young lady who came to Portugal with a Castillan princess, Pedro’s bride. They fell in love and had 3 children but their love was forbidden.

Pedro’s father, King Afonso IV, ordered the assassination of Inês taking advantage of one of Pedro’s trips. When Pedro ascended to the throne, Inês’s murders were executed and Pedro crowned her Queen of Portugal. Their tombs lie side by side in Alcobaça monastery.

•Queluz National Palace is an18th-century palace located at Queluz.

•One of the last great Rococo buildings to be designed in Europe, the design of the palace was inspired in the Palace of Versailles, France.

Comenius Project “Windows on Europe”

Queluz Palace

•The Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa (1501) is an important palace located in Vila Viçosa, Alentejo.

•It was, for centuries, the seat of the House of Braganza, one of the most important noble houses, which became the ruling house of Portugal in 1640.

•It was here that king D.Carlos, slept on the night before his assassination*, in 1908.

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D. Carlos

One of the rooms

Ducal Palace

Vila Viçosa Palace

*His son, D.Manuel II, was our last king but he never governed the kingdom.

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Castles and Fortresses

Wherever you go, you will find castles and fortresses once used both as protection against invaders (Moor, “Spanish”, French) and as home for the population. Some of these castles were originally built by the Moors.

In many of these places we can now enjoy medieval fairs and other activities from time to time.

Castles and Fortresses

Comenius Project “Windows on Europe”

Valença do Minho Fortress

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St. Maria da Feira

Medieval fair of St. Maria da

Feira

PenedonoComenius Project “Windows on Europe”

Comenius Project “Windows on Europe”

Almeida Fortress

Its current structure dates back to the 17th century, in the context of restoration of independence.

It guards an important cross-border road from Spain and underwent several sieges. The most well-known, took place during the Peninsular War (French Invasion), in 1811.

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Porto de Mós

Ourém

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Porto de MósÓbidos

The castle was taken from the Moors by the first King of Portugal,Afonso Henriques, in 1148.

In 1210, King Afonso II gave the title of this village to Queen Urraca. Since then, Óbidos has often been patronized by the Queens of Portugal, giving rise to its informal title as Vila das Rainhas.Nowadays the International Chocolate Festival is one of the town’s most popular events, among many others.

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Porto de MósÓbido

s Chocolate Festival

Christmas Festival

Almourol

Évora Monte

Viana do Alentejo

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In the past this castle played an important strategic role in the wars against Castilla and Spain.

Marvão Comenius Project “Windows on Europe”

Monsaraz Castle In Monsaraz village we

find one of the best preserved medieval sets of our country.

Alqueva’s artificial lake, Portugal’s biggest lake bathes the region since 2002.

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Elvas

Aqueduct

Fort of Our Lady of Grace - located about one kilometer north of Elvas.

Castle

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Vila Viçosa Castle

Comenius Project “Windows on Europe”

Comenius Project “Windows on Europe”

Silves

The End

Comenius Project “Windows on Europe”