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Gateway to the old Jewish quarter, marked by the experience of a 13th century Jewish community.
POINT OF INTEREST LOCATION
R. Rui de Pina 33, 6300-035 Guarda
HOW TO ARRIVE
Rui de Pina Street, 33, 6300-035 Guarda
More points of interest
Guarda Cathedral
The Guarda Cathedral, commissioned during the reign of King João I, was only completed 150 years later, creating the perfect symbiosis between Gothic and Manueline. The interior has a magnificent chancel in Ançã stone, made by the Coimbra workshop of João de Ruão, and is the greatest work of erudite sculpture of the later Renaissance period.
Ferreiros Gate and Tower
The Ferreiros Tower, one of the most emblematic structures belonging to the city wall, probably dates back to the late 18th and early 14th centuries. Inside, there are three doors, one of which is in guillotine (one of the few that exist in Portugal) that guaranteed the safety of the town because they made the tower impregnable.
Old Jewish Neighbourhood
Located within the city walls, the Old Jewish Neighbourhood is considered one of the oldest in the country and even today you can still see marks of Judaism on the houses and pavement, as well as marks made after Christianisation - crosses on doorposts, to deter the inquisitors.
Chapel of Our Lady of the Mileu
Away from the urban centre, Chapel of Mileu is one of the oldest monuments in Guarda. Possibly with Visigothic roots, it is today an example of the transition period from the Romanesque to the Gothic. It stands out as an important point on the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela.
Tower
This tower is the most relevant physical memory of the passage of kings in the city, as well as of the defence of the kingdom against Castile. The interior has three floors with wooden floors, each one with a different experience. On the ground floor there is an auditorium where a film is projected that promotes a virtual tour of the city. On the Livro Mágico floor (2nd floor) visitors can browse the History of Guarda in an interactive way, through the Carta de Foral and the cartoon "História da Guarda Oitocentos Anos de Cidade". On the top floor they can have a 360º perspective of fantastic landscapes.
Convent of São Francisco da Guarda
Legend has it that the origin of this convent was the passage of St. Francis of Assisi through Guarda in 1214. In architectural terms, it has a regular plan that includes a church on one side and a cloister in the middle, on the exterior façade it is possible to verify some traces of medieval architecture with the occasional presence of cannon gargoyles.
Municipal Museum of Guarda
The Museum of Guarda opened to the public in 1985 and its collection is made up of collections of archaeology, numismatics, sacred sculpture from the 13th to 18th centuries, sacred painting from the 16th to 18th centuries and armoury from the 17th to 20th centuries. There are also ceramics, photography, regional ethnography, painting and drawing from the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.
With a privileged location, in the heart of the city of Guarda, it is therefore an emblematic building, with a strong symbolic identity in the urban surroundings, thus assuming preponderance in a vast commercial, cultural and leisure area.
