Guimarães (European Portuguese pronunciation:[ɡimɐˈɾɐ̃jʃ]ⓘ) is a city and municipality located innorthern Portugal, in the district ofBraga.Its historic town centre has been listed as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site since 2001, in recognition for being an "exceptionally well-preserved and authentic example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town" in Europe. TheNicolinas are the city's main festivities.[1]
Guimarães is referred as the capital of theAve Subregion (one of the most industrialised subregions in the country), and located in the historicalMinho Province. The municipality has a population of 156,789 inhabitants according to the most recent data of 2023[2] in an area of 240.95 square kilometres (93.03 sq mi).[3] The current mayor is Ricardo Araújo. Guimarães, along withMaribor, Slovenia, was theEuropean Capital of Culture in 2012. Guimarães also received the 2026European Green Capital Award.
The city was settled in the 9th century, at which time it was calledVimaranes. This name might have had its origin in the warriorVímara Peres, who chose this area as the main government seat for theCounty of Portugal which he conquered for theKingdom of Galicia. Guimarães has a significant historical importance due to the role it played in the foundation of Portugal. The city is commonly referred to as the "birthplace of Portugal" or "the cradle city" (Cidade Berço in Portuguese) because it was in Guimarães that Portugal's first King,Afonso Henriques was born, and also because theBattle of São Mamede – which is considered the seminal event for the foundation of theKingdom of Portugal – was fought in the vicinity of the city.[4] It was declared the most beautiful small city in Europe by theCondé Nast Traveler magazine in 2022.[5]
The Oliveira square, in the historical center of Guimarães, with thePadrão do Salado on the leftPombaline buildings in theToural, Guimarães, Portugal
The History of Guimarães is associated with the foundation and identity of the Portuguese nationality. Guimarães, as well as other settlements, precedes the foundation of Portugal and because of its role in the foundation of the country it is known as the "cradle of the Portuguese nationality". In 1128, major political and military events that would lead to the independence and the birth of a new nation took place in Guimarães. For this reason, in one of the old towers of the city's old wall is written "Aqui nasceu Portugal" (Portugal was born here).
According to archeological findings inCitânia (Castro) ofBriteiros and Sabroso and Penha's archeologic site, the area in which Guimarães is located has had permanent settlements since the lateChalcolithic period.
Following theReconquista policy promoted by theKingdom of Galicia in the 9th century, themedieval foundations of the actual city have roots in the 10th century. At this point, theCountessMumadona Dias, erected amonastery in her property ofVimaranes, which led to the settlement of people in the area known as "vila baixa" (downtown). At the same time, she ordered the construction of a castle on the hill area which became known as "vila alta" (uptown), to defend the settlement. To connect these to other areas, theRua de Santa Maria was built.
The monastery became the "Real Colegiada" (RoyalCollegiate church) and throughout time acquired importance due to the privileges and donations given to it by nobles and kings and it became a famous pilgrimage site.
Henry, Count of Portugal approved the first nationalforal possibly in 1096 (but not confirmed). The foral proves the growing importance of the village of Guimarães at that time, which was chosen as the capital of theCounty of Portugal.
On 24 June 1128, the "Batalha de São Mamede" (Battle of São Mamede) took place in Guimarães.
During the reign of kingDenis, as the town was expanding, it was partially surrounded by adefensive wall. Meanwhile,mendicant orders settled in Guimarães and helped to mold the shape of the emerging city. Later, during the reign ofJohn I, the wall was torn down and the two parts of the city (uptown and downtown) were finally united and the city began to expand outside its old walls.
Guimarães was home to a notableJewish community, concentrated around present-day Praça do Peixe and Rua do Espírito Santo.[7] By the late 14th century, the community had contributed an annual tax of 25,000réis.[8] The area included communal institutions such assynagogues, schools, and a market. Following the1496 decree byKing Manuel I, requiring all Jews to convert or leave Portugal, some members of the community becameMarranos.[9] Notable individuals include Manuel Thomàs[10] and the wife of rabbiMenasseh ben Israel.[11] Public Jewish life in Guimarães ceased after theInquisition. However, traces of its Jewish history remain in the urban layout of the city and through descendants (including the familyGuimarães).
The construction ofSt. Peter's Basilica began in 1737, and became a minor basilica in 1751, with formal completion of the work between 1883 and 1884.
Until the 19th century the structure of the city did not suffer many transformations besides the construction of a few more churches,convents and palaces. It was by the ending of the 19th century that new urbanistic ideas of hygiene and symmetry that the village, that was promoted to city by the QueenMaria II on 23 June 1853 had its greatest changes.
The complete demolition of the city walls was authorized and the creation of many streets and avenues could start at that point. The controlled process of urbanization permitted the conservation of the city's magnificent historical centre.
Granite rock formations occupy the majority of the municipality butschist rocks can also be found in certain zones in the northwest of the municipality. On the southeast, clay can be found instream bed of the Ave, Vizela and Selho rivers.
The municipality is delimited at north by the "Senhora do Monte" (Senhora hill), at northwest by the hills of Falperra,Sameiro, Outeiro and Penedice. To the south is theMonte da Penha, which is the highest point of the municipality, with a height of 613 metres (2,011 ft) abovemean sea level.
Guimarães is part of thedrainage basin ofAve river which divides the municipality in half. The Ave river has as tributaries theVizela,Torto,Febras and inside the city, theSelho, theCouros and the Santa Lúzia stream.
Guimarães is located in a valley surrounded by hills, at some distance from the sea. Summers tend to be lightly humid and hot, though still with some oceanic moderation compared to other locations further inland. Winters are generally cool and rainy, with about 29 days with frost per year on average.[13] The last time it snowed with accumulation in the city was in January 2009, though nearby hills such as Penha may experience it more often. The average annual temperature is 14 °C.
There is not much diversity, especially in the urban areas, but the municipality has some species of cynegetic interest such as: thered fox, thewild boar, theturtle dove, thethrush, the pigeon and thered-legged partridge. In the green areas of the city, the most common species are rodents, especially squirrels.
Administratively, the municipality of Guimarães is divided into 48 civil parishes (freguesias), previously having 69, but some of these were extinct and merged in 2013, after a nationwide territorial reorganization.[14]
Guimarães is an average size city but with a booming cultural life. Besides its museums, monuments, cultural associations, art galleries and popular festivities, it has since September 2005, an important cultural space, the Vila Flor Cultural Center. This cultural center has two auditoria, exhibition center and a concert-cafe. Guimarães was theEuropean Capital of Culture in 2012, together withMaribor in Slovenia.
The fact that Guimarães was founded on the lands of a female convent had a great influence on the region's cuisine, especially its confectionery, such as the "Tortas de Guimarães"[16] (Guimarães' tarts, a half moon flakey pastry wrongfully named a tart) and, mainly, the "Toucinho do céu" (normally, but incorrectly, translated as bacon from heaven, a moist yellow-colored pudding-cake). Besides what is usual inMinho, such as "vinho verde" , "Papas de sarrabulho" (a pig meat and blood porridge), "Rojões" (stewed pig meat served with potatoes and entrail sausage), etc., the so-called "Bôla de carne"[17] (Meat cakes) is also made here, consisting of a type of bread (shaped like apizza) served withtoucinho (bacon),sardines or other toppings.
Joanina fair in Guimarães, where old activities are recreated such as the production of meat "cake"
Festas Gualterianas (Gualteriana festival) - in honor ofSão Gualter (Saint Walter, a minorfranciscan friar), take place since 1906 in the first weekend of August. The "Cortejo do Linho" (Linen parade) and the "Batalha das Flores" (Battle of the Flowers) are part of the festivities which are ended by the "Marcha Gualteriana" (Gualteriana march).
Nicolinas - are the festivities of the students of Guimarães, celebrated in honor ofSaint Nicholas. The festivities start on the 29th of November and finish on the 7th of December. They are composed of different celebrations; the "Pinheiro" celebration being the most widely attended: after the "Ceia Nicolina" (Nicolinas supper), the participants parade the streets of Guimarães playing the "Toques Nicolinos" tune on drums while, traditionally, o Pinheiro (Pine/Christmas tree) is pulled in carts by bulls.[18] Lately, it has been suggested that the "Nicolinas" should be a contender to beUNESCOintangible cultural heritage.
Santa Luzia festivities - in honor ofSaint Lucy they take place annually on 13 December, near to the chapel of Santa Luzia. One of the traditions of these festivities is the selling of traditional cakes made ofrye flour and sugar, called "Sardão" and "Passarinha" (these names have sexual connotations in Portuguese, associated to male and female genitalia respectively).[19] According to the tradition, a boy should offer a "Sardão", which has aphallic form, to the girl and if the girl was interested in dating the boy, she should reply by gifting him with a "Passarinha".
Romaria Grande de São Torcato (São Torcato Big pilgrimage) – one of the biggest romarias in Minho, takes place annually in July in the village ofSão Torcato.
The city of Guimarães has several cultural spaces of reference at a regional and national level. Among the several museums of the city, the Alberto Sampaio museum is the one that stands out. Founded in 1928, it opened its doors to the public in 1931; it is located in the old site of theCanon the Collegiate of Our Lady of Oliveira (Cabido da Colegiada de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira in Portuguese). It contains a rich collection of pieces from the 14th, 15th and 16th century, including one rare vest that was used by the kingJohn I.
Headquarters of the Martins Sarmento Society
The Martins Sarmento Society (Sociedade Martins Sarmento in Portuguese) is one of the country oldest institutions dedicated to the study and preservation of archaeological artifacts. The society owns two museums: the Archaeological Museum of the Martins Sarmento Society, which is known by itsprehistory andprotohistory collections and also itsnumismatics andepigraphy collections; and theCastro Culture Museum which is dedicated to the Castro culture.
There is also: the Primitive Modern Arts Museum, located in theDomus Municipalis (the old city hall), which contains a collection ofnaïve art; the Museum of the Village of São Torcato, which is dedicated to the region and its relationship with the monastery and Saint Torcato (São Torcato in Portuguese); the Agriculture Museum of Fermentões, which exhibits collections of the traditional agricultural practices of the region; and the Museum of São Sebastião, inaugurated on 24 March 1984, which contains mainlysacred art.
Other cultural venues include:
Vila Flor Cultural Center (Centro Cultural Vila Flor in Portuguese) is the main cultural venue in Guimarães. It was built in 2005, besides the restoredVila Flor Palace and its surrounding area. It has twoauditoriums, a concert-cafe and an exhibition gallery. The surrounding gardens of the old palace were also redone and in 2006, received an honorable mention in the Public Exterior Spaces category in the National Landscape Architecture Award.
São Mamede – Guimarães Arts and Shows Center
Raul Brandão Municipal Library has its headquarters in the city and also has branches in Pevidém, Caldas das Taipas and Ronfe. It offers its mobile library services to 42 parishes and services the city schools and prison.
The Art Laboratory (Laboratorio das Artes in Portuguese) was founded in 2004 by ESAP students. It is a cultural space for exhibitions, performances, music and art workshops.
Alfredo Pimenta National Archive, founded in 1931, contains the archives for municipality of Guimarães and also the Braga district.
In 2008, the city ranked second in the index of most livable city in Portugal. It is also the 10th least polluted city in the country according to IQAir.
In 2004, 89% of the population had running water; it was forecast that the number would raise to 95% by 2006. In 2001, 63.5% of the population had basic sanitation; it was forecast that the number would raise to 80% by 2008. In 2001, 100% of the population had access to waste management services.
However, several people complain that the city, together with other cities of the Braga district has had an unaesthetic and unorganized growth.
Guimarães ranks fourth in the country for available newspapers. The oldest was the "Azemel Vimaranense", founded in 1822; it possibly had its publication halted by theVilafrancada incidents. From 1856, other newspapers start to appear, amongst them "A Tesoura de Guimarães". Actually the city's newspapers are:
The Guimarães TV transmission is made online since 24 July 2007; it is the result of a collaboration between the city's assembly and the Guimarães Cybercenter. Its contents are feature in the Região Norte TV channel which is available through cable.
The "canalguimarães" was another online channel that started operating in March 2010. It is the fruit of the effort put in by an arts association, the "Associação de Socorros Mútuos Artística Vimaranense", one of the oldest associations of the city.
Guimarães is linked toPorto by theGuimarães line. This railway line was originally built with narrow gauge track, then modernised and rebuilt to the broadIberian gauge in the first decade of the 21st century. The train service is operated byComboios de Portugal (CP). Locally, Guimarães is served by TUG (Transportes Urbanos de Guimarães) which operates 21 bus routes serving the city.
^Adler, C., & Singer, I. (1907). The Jewish Encyclopedia.
^Adler, C., & Singer, I. (1907). The Jewish Encyclopedia.
^O Phaenix da Lusitania ou Aclamaçam do Serenissimo Rey de Portugal Dom Joam IV. do Nome. Poema Heroico. [“O Phoenix of Lusitania: Heroic Poem Celebrating King João IV.”]. (2019). Kestenbaum.net.https://www.kestenbaum.net/auction/lot/auction-50/050-345/about
^O Phaenix da Lusitania ou Aclamaçam do Serenissimo Rey de Portugal Dom Joam IV. do Nome. Poema Heroico. [“O Phoenix of Lusitania: Heroic Poem Celebrating King João IV.”]. (2019). Kestenbaum.net.https://www.kestenbaum.net/auction/lot/auction-50/050-345/about
^Adler, C., & Singer, I. (1907). The Jewish Encyclopedia.
^Figueiredo, Lucia."Produtos Tradicionais Portugueses".Produtos Tradicionais Portugueses (in Portuguese).Archived from the original on 23 August 2023. Retrieved10 January 2023.
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