Night Walk in Viseu

After having dinner at the hotel, I picked up a tripod and went for a late-night photo shoot. My Hotel Moinho De Vento was located next to Aquilino Ribeiro Park, in the northern part of which is one of the most beautiful churches of Viseu, which belonged to the Third Order of Saint Francis(Igreja dos Terceiros de São Francisco). The church was built in the second half of the 18th century in the Portuguese Rococo style by António Mendes Coutinho.

Nearby is the Chafariz do Rossio fountain. Here I headed east along Rua Vitória towards the Largo de Santa Cristina Square.

On St. Christina Square is the Church of Carmo (Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo), opened in 1738. We've already visited it this afternoon.

On the other side of the square is the City Archive building (Arquivo Distrital de Viseu).

To the west of the square is the pedestrian Rua Formosa, where you can see the remains of the Roman walls covered with glass.

After walking a block along Rua Formosa, I turned right onto Rua Dierita, heading towards the center of the old town.

The old town quarters are two-and three-storey buildings of various eras, here you can find houses of the 17th and 18th centuries. There are many shops and bars in the maze of these short streets.

After getting lost in the old quarters for a while, I came to the Cathedral Square, where several churches are located.

The cathedral, which gave its name to the square, was founded in the 12th century, but throughout its history it has been rebuilt many times and now includes features of Romanesque architecture, Gothic, Baroque and Manueline.

Opposite the cathedral is the Church of Mercy (Igreja da Misericordia), with a Rococo facade, built in the second half of the 18th century.

At the northern facade of the church is the upper station of the funicular, which leads to the lower part of the city, to the fairground.

The Viseu Arena municipal sports and concert complex and an amusement park are also located there. Walking around the city at this hour, I did not meet a single person, and there was a lot of activity below, it seems that the whole city spends the evening there.

To the left of the church, on Largo Misericordia, there are several restaurants and bars, only here I saw two people sitting at a table.

In the western part of the square there is a monumental fountain in the Baroque style, whose name can be translated as three pipes (Fonte das Três Bicas).

Here I turned onto Largo Pintor Gata and reached the medieval city gate (Porta do Soar), a block away is the Chapel of St. Sebastian (Igreja de São Sebastião), built in the early 19th century on the site of the old, 16th century.

To the left of the church is the social center Santa Casa Da Misericórdia De Viseu (House of Mercy). The Relief Society was founded in 1516 by King Manuel, and the current hospital and asylum building was built in 1775.

Across the street, you can relax in your Mother's small, cozy garden (Jardim das Mães).

In the center of the garden is a very touching sculpture by the artist Oliveira Fereira (Oliveira Fereira).

Below is the Republic Square (Praça República), which is considered the center of the city. This is where I started my introduction to Viseu today.

.There is a brightly lit selfie booth for the St. Matheus Fair.

On the east side of the square there is a large ceramic panel depicting the historical events of the city.

On the west side of the square is the Viseu City Hall (Câmara Municipal De Viseu) with the coat of arms of the city and the clock on the pediment.

To the left of the City Hall is the small Jardim Tomás Ribeiro Park, dedicated to the famous Portuguese politician, publicist, writer and poet of the 19th century. O was born into a farming family in Viseu County and was educated at the Viseu Lyceum in his youth.

At the western end of the square, I took another close-up shot of the now-familiar Third Order Church of St. Francis, and that was the end of my walk. Unfortunately, it didn't cover everything I saw in the afternoon and morning of the next day. I can say that one day is catastrophically short to get acquainted with Viseu.