CHAVES

Narrow streets lined with authentic old houses elegantly adorned with wooden balconies await the visitor to the old town. This part of Chaves would have been the original city crammed within the defensive walls, the limited space resulted in taller buildings and narrower streets. As more floors were added to these buildings the more they overhang the previous levels leaving houses opposite in shade. The main artery through the old town leading your away from the river is the Rua Direita which passes the pretty square of Praça de Camões.

Praça de Camões

This square retains much of its original charm with no modern intrusions to spoil its appeal. At one end a statue of Dom Afonso, the first Duke of Bragança stands sentinel in front of the town hall. On the opposite side of the square stands the Igreja de Santa Maria Maior (church of Saint Mary) whose origins date back to the Visigoth era sometime in the 12th century. It sustained major damage during the Arab occupation but it's believed the bell tower and medieval portal are original features. The church was restored during the reigns of Dom Jõao III utilising the romanesque style, its gabled entrance is typically Italian in influence. Inside can be found preserved the medieval structure composed of three naves and robust stone columns. The wooden ceiling however is the 19th century.

Located on one side of the square is the seventeenth century Igreja da Misericórdia, which is typically Baroque in style. The granite facade, preceded by a stone staircase, is detailed and lavishly decorated with pilasters and windows. The interior of a single nave, the walls are decorated entirely with tiles from the eighteenth century, illustrating various biblical scenes. The wooden ceiling is lavishly painted and dates from the mid-eighteenth century (l743). Finally, the altar of gilded wood is richly decorated.

Next to the Igreja da Misericórdia and house within a lovely 17C building is the Museu da Região Flaviense which houses a chaotic assortment of archaeological and ethnographic pieces from Chaves' chequered history. The collection includes a room of prehistoric lapidary objects containing Roman items (sculptures, military posts) and the star attraction - a megalithic human-looking figure (2000 BC). There are ample remains from the old Roman spa settlement including coins, statuettes and fragmented mosaics. Upstairs you will find coins, an ancient minting plate, a magic lantern, radio receivers. On this floor too there are also temporary art exhibitions. The entry ticket to the Museu da Região Flaviense also included admission to the Museu Militar in the Torre de Menagem.
Daily: 09h00 – 12h30/14h00 - 17h30 | Praça de Camões, 5400-517 Chaves, Portugal.
41° 44' 23.§" N | 07° 28' 17.6" W | +351 276 340 500 | municipio@chaves.pt

The road running along the town hall leads you to the site of Chaves' old castle where the only remaining feature is the 14th-century keep. Constructed from local granite it was was built for Nuno Álvares Pereira. A national monument since 1938, the castle was built during the Christian Reconquista and helped strengthen Dom Jõao's claim as king. Within the four floored building can be found a small military museum exhibiting uniforms, arms and regalia. More modern exhibits include displays focusing on Portugal’s involvement in WW1 and its 20th-century colonial entanglements. From the top, there are fine vistas over the River Tâmega, the historic centre of Chaves and the pretty gardens which surround the keep. The entry ticket to the Torre de Menagem also included admission to the Museu da Região Flaviense.

Weekdays: 09h00 – 12h30/14h00 - 17h30, Weekends: 14h00 - 17h30
Praça de Camões, 5400-150 Chaves, Portugal. | 41° 44' 22.§" N | 07° 28' 18.1" W
+351 276 348 180.