Portalegre, Portugal

Portalegre is the capital of the Portalegre district and a municipality of the north-eastern Alentejo (22 340 inhabitants · 447 km²), on the lower slopes of the Serra de São Mamede near the Spanish border. It became a city and the seat of a bishop in 1550, and is known for its cathedral, its manor houses and the Portalegre tapestry.

The history of Portalegre has its own page.

Monuments in Portalegre

• Portalegre Cathedral: the cathedral begun in 1556, with a front between twin towers and Mannerist and Baroque altarpieces.
• Mosteiro de São Bernardo: a former Cistercian convent of the 16th century.
• Convent of Santa Clara: a medieval convent now used by the municipal library.
• Castle: the remains of the castle built under King Dinis in the upper town.

Museums and culture in Portalegre

• Portalegre Tapestry Museum: the museum of the tapestries woven in the city since the 1940s with the Portalegre stitch.
• José Régio House Museum: the home of the writer José Régio, with about 400 figures of Christ from his collection.
• Municipal Museum: the city museum beside the cathedral, with sacred art and faience.

Nature in Portalegre

• Serra de São Mamede Natural Park: the protected mountains around the city, with the highest point in Portugal south of the Tagus, at 1,025 metres.

Leisure in Portalegre

• City visits: Visiting Portalegre covers the historic centre, the convents, the cork factory and the food.
• In the district: the villages of Marvão and Castelo de Vide, and the fortified border town of Elvas, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Parishes of Portalegre

• Alagoa (543 inhabitants · 18 km²)
• Alegrete (1 414 inhabitants · 87 km²): a parish with the medieval castle and village of Alegrete.
• Fortios (1 785 inhabitants · 66 km²)
• Reguengo e São Julião (849 inhabitants · 72 km²)
• Ribeira de Nisa e Carreiras (1 731 inhabitants · 50 km²)
• Sé e São Lourenço (14 317 inhabitants · 24 km²): the city parish, with the historic centre and the cathedral, and the most populous parish of the municipality.
• Urra (1 701 inhabitants · 130 km²): the largest parish of the municipality by area.

Healthcare in Portalegre

Guides to Portalegre