Guarda

The walls, the towers, the old Jewish quarter and the houses of Dom João I and Barbadão call to mind the days of the town’s medieval splendour. The Cathedral, Gothic in its origins, displays a Manueline portal and window as well as a Renaissance retable. Also deserving a visit are the churches of Senhora dos Remédios (16th century), Misericórdia (17th century), and São Vicente (18th century), and the Regional Museum. On the outskirts the Romanesque chapel of Nossa Senhora de Mileu (11th-12th-centuries).

Historic Villages:

These ancient population centres, dating back before the establishment of the Portuguese nation, are characteristic of Beiras region, in central Portugal. Many are located on higher ground because they were originally built to defend populations in an age that predates the Roman invasion. Here military architecture prevails, the entire settlement being surrounded by strong walls. One exception to this prevailing military spirit is the village of Piódão. Examples of typical centres are: Almeida (whose polygon-shaped fortress was in the 18th century considered unassailable); Castelo Mendo, Castelo Novo, Castelo Rodrigo, Idanha-a-Velha (with Roman remains and a cathedral of Visigothic origin); Linhares da Beira, Marialva, Piódão and Sortelha. Worthy of mention is Monsanto, which is built on the site of the ancient Lusitanian fortified camp of Serra de Penha Garcia and has a pousada with splendid views.