Castelo Branco, capital of the Beira Baixa, lies in a region of plains, olive groves and cork oaks near the Spanish border. Founded by the Templars in the thirteenth century, it is now a modern, quiet town with two treasures: a Baroque garden and an embroidery tradition.
The Episcopal Palace Garden
The Jardim do Paço Episcopal, created in the eighteenth century for the Bishop of Guarda beside his summer residence, is one of Portugal's most original Baroque gardens: clipped box hedges, pools, fountains and above all staircases lined with dozens of granite statues representing the apostles, the virtues, the seasons, the signs of the zodiac and the kings of Portugal. A curiosity: the three Spanish kings who ruled Portugal between 1580 and 1640 are shown smaller than the others, as a mark of contempt.
The embroidery
The episcopal palace houses the Francisco Tavares Proença Júnior Museum, with archaeology, painting and above all a collection of bordados de Castelo Branco, hand embroidery in silk on linen decorating the colchas, wedding bedspreads, with motifs of flowers, trees of life, birds and love symbols, partly inspired by Indian and Chinese textiles that arrived with the discoveries. The museum has a workshop where you can watch the embroiderers.
The town
Some walls and towers of the Templar castle remain on the hill, with the São Gens viewpoint over the plain. The old centre has the cathedral of São Miguel and Camões square. The Contemporary Culture Centre, a spectacular modern building, hosts art exhibitions. Castelo Branco is served by the Beira Baixa railway and the A23 motorway, about two and a half hours from Lisbon; from here you can reach Monsanto and the Naturtejo Geopark.