Sé Velha (Old Cathedral)

12th-century Romanesque cathedral that looks more like a fortress than a church

The Old Cathedral sits on the slope between the lower town and the university, and its military appearance — crenellated walls, arrow slits, no spire — makes it look like something between a church and a castle. That was deliberate: it was built in the 1160s when the Reconquista was still ongoing and the south of Portugal was not yet secure.

The interior is relatively plain compared to later Portuguese churches, which is part of its appeal. The Gothic cloister, added in the early 13th century, is serene and beautifully proportioned. The main portal's carved tympanum depicts the descent from the cross. Entrance is inexpensive and the building is rarely crowded.

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A story
The Sé Velha was built in the 1160s during the reign of Afonso Henriques, Portugal's first king, partly as a fortified stronghold against Moorish raids from the south. Unlike most of Portugal's Romanesque buildings, it escaped the major rebuilding campaigns of the 16th century and retains most of its original structure — one of the best-preserved Romanesque buildings on the Iberian Peninsula.

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