Guimarães

Guimarães, city and concelho (municipality), northwestern Portugal. Guimarães lies at the foot of the Serra de Santa Catarina (2,018 feet [615 metres]), northeast of the city of Porto.

Guimarães was founded in the 4th century and in the 12th century became the first capital of Portugal. Its landmarks include the 10th-century castle (where Afonso I, Portugal’s first king, was born) on a hill overlooking the town, the Romanesque Church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira (rebuilt 1387–1400), the 14th-century convent and church of São Francisco, and a Dominican convent now housing a notable museum of antiquities. A former convent, Santa Marinha da Costa, on a hill southeast of the city, has been transformed into a spectacular pousada (special tourist inn). The historic centre of the city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001. North of the city is the Citânia de Briteiros, an Iron Age settlement that is an important archaeological site. An industrial centre, Guimarães produces woolen goods, linen, goldsmith’s items, and cutlery. Pop. (2001) city, 52,181; mun., 159,576; (2011 est.) city, 51,700; (2011) mun., 158,124.