Set between the Serra da Estrela and the Serra do Caramulo, the city of Viseu enjoys a scenic position in the Dão-Lafões region of central Portugal, halfway between the Atlantic and the Spanish border, on the old route linking the port of Aveiro with Guarda and Salamanca. With about 100,000 people in its municipality, it is often ranked among the Portuguese cities with the best quality of life and is called the garden city for its parks, flowerbeds and surrounding pine woods. It is also the capital of Dão wine, one of Portugal's most highly regarded reds.
A little history
Before the Romans the region was home to the Lusitanians, led in the second century BC by Viriathus, the shepherd warrior who held off Rome's legions for years and is still a national hero, remembered in the city by a statue. On the edge of the centre lies the Cava de Viriato, a large octagonal earthwork enclosure, perhaps a Roman military camp or a work of the Moorish period, which tradition links to the Lusitanian leader. Some stretches of Roman wall survive; the city was later Visigothic, Moorish and finally Christian, a bishopric and a residence of nobles and kings in the Middle Ages.
The cathedral and Largo da Sé
The heart of the old town is Largo da Sé, one of Portugal's loveliest squares, at the top of the hill. Viseu Cathedral was built in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and altered many times: inside, the Manueline vault with knotted, rope-like ribs is striking, while the Renaissance cloister is lined with eighteenth-century azulejos. Opposite stands the Igreja da Misericórdia, with its elegant white Rococo facade.
Next to the cathedral, in the former bishops' palace (Paço dos Três Escalões), is the Grão Vasco National Museum, founded in 1916 and devoted to the great Renaissance painter Vasco Fernandes (about 1475-1542), known as Grão Vasco, who was born and worked in Viseu. Many of his works are on display, including panels that once adorned the cathedral, such as the famous Saint Peter Enthroned and Christ in the House of Martha, alongside works by other Portuguese masters.
The old town
From Largo da Sé you descend through narrow lanes, stairways and manor houses. Praça Dom Duarte, with houses with wrought-iron balconies and a view of the cathedral, is one of the most romantic, while Rua Direita, the liveliest street, is full of shops, cafés and old houses. Lower down opens the Rossio (Praça da República), the main square, with a large blue and white azulejo panel depicting scenes of rural life in the region, the nineteenth-century city hall and, nearby, the Baroque church of the Franciscan brotherhood.
Food, wine and traditions
Viseu's cooking is the hearty food of the Beiras: roast kid and lamb, smoked meats, sausages, Serra da Estrela cheese and, for dessert, viriatos and castanhas de ovos. All with a glass of Dão wine, which you can discover at wineries and quintas along the region's wine route.
From late August to mid-September the São Mateus Fair takes place, one of the oldest in the country, with medieval origins, drawing thousands of visitors every year with concerts, food, crafts and funfair rides. Typical souvenirs include lace, wicker baskets and the black pottery of Molelos. Viseu has no railway: it is reached by bus or by car on the A25 motorway from Porto, Coimbra and Aveiro.