Praça da República
The heart of Viana do Castelo's old town, where a 16th-century fountain, the old town hall and the Misericordia form a Renaissance square said to be the most beautiful in the Minho region.
Praca da Republica is the center of the old town. In the middle stands a Renaissance stone fountain carved in 1554. On the east side is the 16th-century old town hall, with arcades and its coat of arms. On the north side is the Misericordia building, famous for its three-tiered granite caryatid façade, and the Misericordia church beside it has walls covered in 18th-century blue-and-white tile panels. The cobbled streets around the square retain Manueline window frames and aristocratic mansions, and restaurants and cafés abound, where you can try cod dishes and Vinho Verde from the Minho region. It is especially charming under the lights at night, and during the August Festival of Our Lady of Agony it is the centre of the procession.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Costume Museum
- Viana do Castelo Cathedral
- Gil Eannes Hospital Ship
- Eiffel Bridge
- Sanctuary of Santa Luzia
- Romaria da Senhora d'Agonia
- Fort of Santiago da Barra
- Citânia de Santa Luzia