Tourism

Biblioteca Municipal de Lamego

The building that now houses the Lamego Municipal Library was the Palácio Mesquitela, a former manor house that later served as the headquarters of Caixa Geral de Depósitos and, after renovation works, became the library. It is an example of 17th-century architecture, linked to the Mesquitela family, and an important local cultural landmark. The origins of the Lamego Public Municipal Library date back to the late 19th century. The Viscount Guedes Teixeira, a major supporter of the Lamego Library, expressed the intention of maintaining a library in his municipality. Cassiano Neves was the main driving force behind a Popular Education Association, which included a Popular Library with 1,400 books, and is considered the principal founder of the Lamego Public Municipal Library. The Lamego Municipal Library is a dynamic space that offers, in addition to book lending and free Internet access (Wi-Fi), an online catalogue for research, reading promotion activities, guided tours, and research support. Its operations focus on the development of readers and civic participation, with a collection comprising more than 12,000 works.

Republic’s Garden

The Jardim da República is an iconic public green space located in the historic centre of Lamego, in the district of Viseu, next to the Town Hall and close to other points of interest in the city. This garden occupies an area with a natural slope between the streets that border it and is accessible via a staircase covered with traditional blue and white tiles, which are one of the most characteristic visual elements of the site. Historically, the garden originated in the old Campo do Tablado, a public space opposite the Convento das Chagas, founded in the 16th century. The area has been transformed over time into the garden we know today. Also in this area, next to the garden, is the well-known ‘O Lamego’ fountain, originally built in 1830 and later reinstalled on the hillside of the garden.

Bust of the poet Fausto Guedes Teixeira

This bust, unveiled in 1944, honours the Lamego poet Fausto Guedes Teixeira. It was designed by Rui Couto and António Couto and sculpted by Costa Mota Sobrinho. Fausto Guedes Teixeira, son of Viscount Guedes Teixeira, was born in Lamego in 1871. After completing his studies at Lamego High School, he enrolled at the University of Coimbra, where he graduated in law. His admirable lyricism was already evident when he published ‘Náufragos’ (Shipwrecked) at the age of just 18. In 1893, he published ‘Mocidade Perdida’ (Lost Youth), followed in 1894 by ‘O Livro do Amor’ (The Book of Love), which would definitively establish the poet’s reputation. His time in Coimbra was marked by his delightful improvisations, which enchanted a romantic generation. In 1899, he published ‘Esperança Nossa’ (Our Hope) and ‘Carta de um Poeta’ (Letter from a Poet). He spent some time in Brazil, where he hoped to pursue his career, but returned ill and homesick. In 1906, he published Almas Tristes (Sad Souls) and in 1908 O meu Livro (My Book), which contains his best verses. Visitors to Penedo da Saudade, in Coimbra, can see a tombstone commemorating the poet, with one of his verses.

Mercado Municipal de Lamego

The Lamego Municipal Market began operating on July 25, 1981. Its main objective was to supply the county seat with fresh products, given the difficulty at the time of serving the urban population with this type of product. It consists of three floors, with floors one and two used for the Market’s operation and floor three, until recently, occupied by the Hotel School, although its future use has not yet been defined. The opening hours for the public, from Monday to Saturday, are from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The busiest day for the market is Thursday, which coincides with the weekly fair. On this day, the Market exceptionally receives numerous producers who find a place there to sell their horticultural and fruit products. Considering that no requalification works have been carried out in that space for more than 25 years, the Lamego City Council will carry out an intervention for the revitalization and dynamization of the Lamego Municipal Market, in order to, on the one hand, comply with legal food safety requirements, and on the other hand, increase the attraction capacity of this space. The physical rehabilitation of the Municipal Market will be complemented with the training and modernization of commercial operators, regarding product display, customer service, sales techniques, conservation and maintenance of the guarantee of products sold, and the offer of value-added services – home deliveries, ATM payments, etc. Dissemination and promotion actions will also be developed, in order to lead the population to create the habit of going to the Municipal Market – to buy quality food products (fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and meat, flowers, bread, cheeses, sausages, sweets), particularly those of a traditional and regional nature.

Chapel of the Holy Spirit

The Chapel of the Holy Spirit is a small and unique religious building located in the centre of Lamego, next to the Holy Spirit Fountain, on Rua das Canastras. The chapel was rebuilt in the 16th century by Bishop Manuel de Noronha, whose coat of arms can be found on the outside of the building, marking his intervention and his role in the religious history of the city. The interior of the chapel is small but features a remarkable decorative artistic ensemble. The main highlight is an 18th-century sculpture of the Holy Spirit by an unknown artist, which is located on the high altar and is of particular interest to visitors. In addition to the central sculpture, the space displays Baroque altarpieces, including an elegant altar on the Gospel side, a pulpit covered in gilded woodcarving and walls decorated with 17th-century tiles, which enrich the interior and reflect the Baroque aesthetics of the period. 

Visconde Guedes Teixeira Avenue

Visconde Guedes Teixeira Avenue is one of the main urban arteries of the city of Lamego, conceived in the early twentieth century during a period of significant urban modernisation. Its construction resulted from a plan to reorganise the urban fabric, aiming to replace narrow and irregular streets with broader, more representative avenues, adapted to the needs of traffic and to the city’s growing socio-economic importance. The avenue is named in honour of José Augusto Guedes Teixeira, 1st Viscount of Guedes Teixeira (1843–1890), one of the most prominent figures in Lamego’s political and administrative life in the late nineteenth century. A lawyer, businessman and Mayor of Lamego, the Viscount was a driving force behind local progress, promoting urban reforms and advocating the modernisation of the city within the context of a rapidly changing country. Along the avenue there are also several elements of heritage and symbolic interest, notably two statues that form part of Lamego’s collective memory. The statue of the Cochicho, a popular figure associated with everyday life and local traditions, evokes the more human and popular side of the city and is often interpreted as a tribute to ordinary people and to stories passed down orally through generations. In contrast, the Unknown Soldier monument has a more solemn and evocative character, paying tribute to those who lost their lives in the service of their country, particularly in the context of the First World War. This monument serves as a place of remembrance and reflection and is the setting for commemorative ceremonies and tributes, reinforcing the historical and civic value of the avenue. Thus, Visconde Guedes Teixeira Avenue stands not only as an important urban and functional thoroughfare, but also as a space of identity, memory and historical representation of the city of Lamego, where modernity, tradition and civic remembrance intersect.