Located in the extreme south of the Douro region, just off the main road connecting Guarda with Lamego, Sernancelhe is a picturesque little town originally founded on the banks of the River Távora in the 10th century. What to see. In the central Praça da República stands the town’s Romanesque parish church, remarkable for the 12th century granite statues of six weathered apostles fixed into twin niches on either side of the main doorway. Inside the church is a series of 16th century panels, most notably a magnificent depiction of John the Baptist. The pillory that stands across the square is dated 1554.
The old quarter retains features of a medieval Jewish settlement and several impressive 16th and 17th century town houses, one of which is the birthplace of Padre João Rodrigues, an eminent missionary who was active in Japan in the 16th century.
Built by the Knights of Malta, the town’s ruined castle is worth visiting for its eye-catching battlemented Casa do Padre (Priest’s Residence) situated at its feet. Nearby. Nearby, in the Serra da Lapa hills that rise to the south of Sernancelhe, stands the sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Lapa (Our Lady of Lapa). The shrine commemorates the miracle of a dumb shepherd girl called Joana who suddenly found her voice when her mother tried to burn a statue of the Virgin Mary.
