Page 210 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Portugal

15
Arganil
! E3 @ n Avenida das
Forças Armadas;
235 200 137
Tradition has it that this was a
Roman city called Argos. In the
EXPERIENCE The Beiras mother of Afonso Henriques,
12th century, Dona Teresa, the
gave the town to the bishopric
of Coimbra, whose incumbent
also acquired the title of
Conde de Arganil. Most of
the town’s architecture is
unremarkable, but the church
of São Gens, the Igreja Matriz
in Rua de Visconde de Frias,
dates back perhaps to the
14th century.
One of the most curious The Village of Piódão,
local sights is kept in the blending into the
sanctuary of Mont’Alto, 3 km Serra de Açor
(2 miles) above the town. Here,
the Capela do Senhor da
Ladeira harbours the Menino mother of Afonso Henriques. 17
Jesus, a Christ Child figure in The 13th-century Igreja Matriz
a bicorne hat (part of a full in Largo Ribeira do Amaral Piódão
wardrobe). He comes out for houses a magnificent reminder ! E3 @ From Coja 20 km
festas but the chapel key is of the era of these warrior (12 miles) away n Largo
otherwise available from the monks. One of the founders Cónego Manuel Fernandes
last house on the right. of the town, Domingues Nogueira; 235 732 787
Joanes, is buried beside
his wife in the Capela dos The Serra de Açor (Hills of the
16 Ferreiros. His large tomb is Goshawk) is a place of bleak
beauty, where solitary villages
surmounted by a charming
Oliveira do Hospital equestrian statue. cling to precipitous terraces.
Today, this lively industrial Piódão is the most striking of
! E3 @ n Casa da Cultura,
Rua do Colégio; 238 town is perfectly situated for these dark schist and slate
exploring the valleys of the
hamlets. Seem ingly remote,
609 269
Mondego and the Alva. Piódão was, until the 1800s,
These lands At Lourosa, 12 km (7 miles) on the main commer cial route
once belonged to the southwest of Oliveira from Coimbra to Covilhã, but
to the Knights do Hospital, the simple 10th- with newer roads the village
Hospitallers, a century church of São Pedro was forgotten. But Piódão is
gift in 1120 reflects the changing fate coming back to life: houses
from the of Portugal over the are being repainted and the
centuries. A cemetery bright white Igreja Matriz once
excavated beneath the again stands out against the
church dates from the surround ing dark stone.
Roman era; the porch
is Visigothic, while inside
are ten impressive 18
Roman arches
and an ajimene Caramulo
(Moorish window).
! E3 @ n Avenida Dr
Jerónimo de Lacerda 750;
232 861 437
Statue in the In a grassy rolling serra west
church at Oliveira of Viseu, this small town was
do Hospital once, with its clear moun tain
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