The City of Viana do Castelo
This is the old Viana of the Lima mouth, the medieval town that deserved. D. Afonso III,s charter. The maritime land, which generously and bravely, with faith and soul, devoted itself to the discoveries and to any fight for the country's reaffirmation. The land called "notable" by D. Sebastião. The emporium of 17th and 18th century rich merchants. The city of Her Magesty the Queen D. Maria II.
In 1512, D. Manuel renewed Viana do Castelo's charter and D. Maria II promoted the town to city in 1848. Visiting the city is meeting a living history museum. From the medieval era date the small and mutilated Old Hospital (support to Jacobeo), the Roqueta Tower in Santiago da Barra Castle (rebuilt by D. Manuel I), Melo Alvim's Palace dating from the 15th century and one of Viana's oldest building set in Avenida Condes da Carreira, João Velho's house, the Casa dos Arcos (from the last quarter of the 15th century), the gothic Cathedral built in 1404, and the Paços do Concelho or Domus Municipalis (Town Hall House). Also worthy of mention are other medieval buildings such as Pero Galego's house, the Caravela house, remains of the ogive era like those two precious canopies suspended above images of an adulterated house in Rua de Viana (back of Aliança Hotel), and even, with renaissance stylisation, the manueline window of the Costa Barro's house in Rua de S. Pedro.
The 18th century particularly enriched Viana do Castelo, endowing the city with remarhable buildings such as Barbosa Maciel's mansions (where the Municipal Museum is set), Rego Barreto's house (in the former D. Fernando garden), where the Polytechnic, Institute operates today, Cunha Sotto Mayor, where the district registry office is located, and the Malheiras with its magnificent chapel in Rua de Gago Coutinho, a pure rocaille building with sumptuous tracing.
Viana is at our feet. A healthy city wishing to start the new millennium on the right foot. Open to both river and sea, Viana crosses the new IC-1 and over ripped spaces... where one feels like living in. FRANCISCO SAMPAIO
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Not only writers, poets and painters, but also the commonest of men have got involved with the charm and the unique harmony of Viana do Castelo´s landscape, leaning over the Lima river and back on Santa Luzia hill. The sea is also there, offering outstanding colourful sunsets and far blue horizons, as well as the wide open valley, sprinkled with green, ripping the sunrise.
Flat city, almost without unevenness of land, Viana do Castelo spreads between the sea and the river, trimmed by more or less geometric streets, crossed by narrow alleys and distinctively picturesque typical squares and plazas, unveiling attractive corners. Here and there between the rows of houses, a higly significant number of palatial and manor houses stand out, impressing by their elegance and trace. But the most rewarding surprise for any visitor is its main plaza, initially called Campo do Forno, later Praça da Raínha and, after 1910, Praça da República. Here is a marvellous art triptych, the true ex-libris of Viana do Castelo: the old Town Hall House, the Cada da Mesericórdia and the Drinking Fountain.
Gargoyles, corbels, modilions, balcony and bracket stones mark Viana's 17th century in many constructions. Among them, the Barra Castle with its baroque entrance and the Vedoria house stand out, not to mention the two front manor houses in Rua da Bandeira and two other houses, Barros Limas' (today the Catholic Institute) and Pereira Cirne's.
Santa Luzia's hill, whose top can be reached on foot, by funicular or by car, is the most amazing viewpoint in the country. Next to it Temple-Monument was built in the beginning of this century, designed by architect Ventura Terra following Tomanesque and Byzantine influences.
