On foot and by car · half a day
Guide to Churches & Chapels
Five centuries of religious architecture, from a street crossing to the top of the ridge.
Castelo de Vide's religious heritage is not concentrated in one place: it is spread through the urban fabric and climbs into the hills. Walking it means crossing the 14th to the 19th century in a morning.
The parish church, Santa Maria da Devesa, carries a dedication unique in Portugal — begun in 1789 over a chapel founded in 1311 by Lourenço Pires and completed around 1873.
Stops
- 1
Igreja de Santa Maria da Devesa
The parish church. Begun 1789 over a 1311 chapel; completed c. 1873.
- 2
Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Alegria (1638)
Period tilework, beside the castle; adjoining convent begun in the 18th c. and never finished.
- 3
Capela de São Roque (15th c.)
Rebuilt in the 18th c., tucked into a street crossing.
- 4
Ermida de Nossa Senhora da Penha (16th c.)
Atop Serra de São Paulo; viewpoint over the town.
- 5
Ruined hermitages
Senhora das Virtudes and São Silvestre, in the municipality.