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Castelo
Branco
Around the 13th century castle lies a medieval quarter,
with its Manueline portals. In the old Episcopal Palace,
is the Francisco Tavares Proença Júnior
Museum. Other old monuments are the Paços do
Concelho (16th-17th centuries), Graça Convent
(16th-18th centuries), Santo António dos Capuchos
Convent (16th century), Misericórdia Velha
Church (16th-18th centuries).
Belmonte
Unsurprisingly given its name, the town is situated
at the top of a hill over which towers a fine castle.
In one of its mighty walls is a particularly fine
Manueline window showing the flowery Gothic style
characteristic of the period of King Manuel 1st. Beside
the castle is the fine Romanesque-Gothic church of
Santiago in whose interior is to be found a very fine
statue of the Madonna with the body of Christ, whose
simplicity and originality are most striking. Belmonte
is famous for being the birthplace of Pedro Álvares
Cabral, the man who in 1500 discovered Brazil. The
town is notable, too, for its Jewish community, which
has lived here without interruption since the 14th
century. Not far from the town is Centum Cellas, a
mysterious construction from the Roman era. The purpose
of this two-story building remains an enigma.
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