| SANTA
MARIA DA FEIRA |
Conveniently situated just off the A1 motorway, midway between
Oporto and Aveiro, Santa Maria da Feira derives its name from
a long tradition of holding large fairs and weekly markets in
the Rossio town square. Its winding streets are lined with 18th-
and 19th-century merchants houses.
What to see. Built on the site of a pagan sanctuary and
crowning a wooded hill on the southern edge of town, Santa Maria
da Feira's castle dominates the skyline with its four towers
topped with a confection of domes. On the way down from the
castle (it takes about 15 minutes to walk up), the grand Convent
of Loios features blue 17th-century azulejo glazed tiles decorating
the façades of its two symmetrical belltowers.
Nearby. The small town of Arouca, 20 km east of Santa
Maria da Feira, is notable for its imposing convent, founded
in 1091. The Baroque church holds richly carved choir stalls
and a great organ with 1,352 notes. Visitors can also see an
elaborate silver casket which holds the remains and an effigy
of Princess Mafalda, daughter of King Sancho I. The museum upstairs
includes an exquisite 13th-century silver diptych and a series
of rare paintings by Josefa de Óbidos (1630-84). Off
the central courtyard there's an airy room lined with impressive
azulejo tiles. The coastal town of Ovar, a few kilometres to
the south-west of Santa Maria da Feira, boasts a fine sandy
beach and an interesting ethnological museum. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| © 2007 Maisturismo |
