Historic Centre of Guimarães | Portugal

The historic town of Guimarães is associated with the emergence of the Portuguese national identity in the 12th century. An exceptionally well-preserved and authentic example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town, its rich building typology exemplifies the specific development of Portuguese architecture from the 15th to 19th century through the consistent use of traditional building materials and techniques.

Year of Inscription: 2001

Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar | Portugal

* sent from the Czech Republic

The city of Oporto, built along the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the Douro river, is an outstanding urban landscape with a 2,000-year history. Its continuous growth, linked to the sea (the Romans gave it the name Portus, or port), can be seen in the many and varied monuments, from the cathedral with its Romanesque choir, to the neoclassical Stock Exchange and the typically Portuguese Manueline-style Church of Santa Clara.

Year of Inscription: 1996

Monastery of Alcobaça | Portugal

*sent from Taiwan

The Monastery of Santa Maria d'Alcobaça, north of Lisbon, was founded in the 12th century by King Alfonso I. Its size, the purity of its architectural style, the beauty of the materials and the care with which it was built make this a masterpiece of Cistercian Gothic art.

Year of Inscription: 1989

Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications | Portugal

The site, extensively fortified from the 17th to 19th centuries, represents the largest bulwarked dry-ditch system in the world. Within its walls, the town contains barracks and other military buildings as well as churches and monasteries. While Elvas contains remains dating back to the 10th century ad, its fortification began when Portugal regained independence in 1640. The fortifications designed by Dutch Jesuit padre Cosmander represent the best surviving example of the Dutch school of fortifications anywhere. The site also contains the Amoreira aqueduct, built to enable the stronghold to withstand lengthy sieges.

Year of Inscription: 2012

Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroísmo in the Azores | Portugal

Situated on one of the islands in the Azores archipelago, this was an obligatory port of call from the 15th century until the advent of the steamship in the 19th century. The 400-year-old San Sebastião and San João Baptista fortifications are unique examples of military architecture. Damaged by an earthquake in 1980, Angra is now being restored.

Year of Inscription: 1983

University of Coimbra - Alta and Sofia | Portugal

Situated on a hill overlooking the city, the University of Coimbra with its colleges grew and evolved over more than seven centuries within the old town. Notable university buildings include the 12th century Cathedral of Santa Cruz and a number of 16th century colleges,  the Royal Palace of Alcáçova, which has housed the University since 1537, the Joanine Library with its rich baroque decor, the 18th century Botanical Garden and University Press, as well as the large “University City” created during the 1940s. The University’s edifices became a reference in the development of other institutions of higher education in the Portuguese-speaking world where it also exerted a major influence on learning and literature. Coimbra offers an outstanding example of an integrated university city with a specific urban typology as well as its own ceremonial and cultural traditions that have been kept alive through the ages.

Year of Inscription: 2013

Monastery of the Hieronymites | Portugal

Standing at the entrance to Lisbon harbour, the Monastery of the Hieronymites – construction of which began in 1502 – exemplifies Portuguese art at its best. The nearby Tower of Belém, built to commemorate Vasco da Gama's expedition, is a reminder of the great maritime discoveries that laid the foundations of the modern world.

Year of Inscription: 1983

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Portugal

 This postcard shows fifteen UNESCO WHS in Portugal, all of which are in my collection! 😁

• Convento de Cristo em Tomar
• Mosteiro da Batalha 
• Torre de Belém e Mosteiro dos Jerónimos em Lisboa 
• Zona Central da Cidade de Angra do Heroísmo nos Açores 
• Centro Histórico de Évora
• Mosteiro de Alcobaça 
• Paisagem Cultural de Sintra 
• Centro Histórico do Porto, Ponte Luiz I e Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar
• Sítios Pré-Históricos de Arte Rupestre do Vale do Rio Côa e da Siega Verde 
• Floresta Laurissilva na Madeira 
• Alto Douro Vinhateiro 
• Centro Histórico de Guimarães
• Paisagem da Cultura da Vinha da Ilha do Pico
• Cidade-Quartel Fronteiriça de Elvas e suas Fortificações
• Universidade de Coimbra - Alta e Sofia 

Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture | Portugal

The 987-ha site on the volcanic island of Pico, the second largest in the Azores archipelago, consists of a remarkable pattern of spaced-out, long linear walls running inland from, and parallel to, the rocky shore. The walls were built to protect the thousands of small, contiguous, rectangular plots (currais) from wind and seawater. Evidence of this viniculture, whose origins date back to the 15th century, is manifest in the extraordinary assembly of the fields, in houses and early 19th-century manor houses, in wine-cellars, churches and ports. The extraordinarily beautiful man-made landscape of the site is the best remaining area of a once much more widespread practice.

Year of Inscription: 2004

 

Historic Centre of Évora | Portugal

This museum-city, whose roots go back to Roman times, reached its golden age in the 15th century, when it became the residence of the Portuguese kings. Its unique quality stems from the whitewashed houses decorated with azulejos and wrought-iron balconies dating from the 16th to the 18th century. Its monuments had a profound influence on Portuguese architecture in Brazil.

Year of Inscription: 1986

Royal Building of Mafra – Palace, Basilica, Convent, Cerco Garden and Hunting Park (Tapada) | Portugal

Located 30 km northwest of Lisbon, the property was conceived by King João V in 1711 as a tangible representation of his conception of the monarchy and the State. This imposing quadrangular building houses the king’s and queen's palaces, the royal chapel, shaped like a Roman baroque basilica, a Franciscan monastery and a library containing 36,000 volumes. The complex is completed by the Cerco garden, with its geometric layout, and the royal hunting park (Tapada). The Royal Mafra Building is one of the most remarkable works undertaken by King João V, which illustrates the power and reach of the Portuguese Empire. João V adopted Roman and Italian baroque architectural and artistic models and commissioned works of art that make Mafra an exceptional example of Italian Baroque.

Year of Inscription: 2019