Guimarães is one of the most important historical
cities of Portugal. Owing to its close association with the establishment of
the Portuguese national identity and the Portuguese language in the 12th
century and the specialized building techniques that developed here in the
Middle Ages which are well-preserved till date, the historic centre of
Guimarães was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list in the year 2001.
Guimarães is considered to be the “cradle” of Portugal and the residence of the
first King, Dom Afonso Henriques.
The historical importance of the city is clearly manifested in the motto Aqui nasceu Portugal ('Portugal was born here'), which is displayed on one of the last remaining city wall towers. The prominent monuments of the city include the medieval castle which dates back to the 10th century. Built in granite during the time of Afonso I,it continued to undergo various modifications in the centuries that followed. Part of the castle was demolished in the 18th century and since then it has been subject to restorations. Close to the castle, there is a small Romanesque church, São Miguel do Castelo, ruined in the 19th century and restored in the 1920s. The Palace of the Dukes of Bragança is a large complex built from stone down the hill from the castle. The building was conceived as a symbol of the pride of the Bragança family. The Town Hall, in the square in front of the church of Nossa Senhora, dates mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries. In the Oliveira square, in front of the church, there is also a 14th-century Gothic arch, a monument commemorating the victory of Dom Afonso IV in the battle of Padrão do Salado. A trip to Guimarães is incomplete without a visit to the 2,000ft-high peak Penha that overlooks the city.
Guimarães, the first capital of Portugal, was given a
resurgence in 2012 when it was chosen to be the European capital of culture in
2012. The following year, it was named the European city of sport. The
Guimarães of today knows best how to reconcile history and the maintenance of
heritage with the dynamism and entrepreneurship that characterise modern
cities.