Faro

Faro's beaches and the Ria Formosa, where flamingos can be seen taking to the air, mark the border with the sea. On the flat terrain behind are the houses and buildings of Faro, green vegetable plots that thrive on the fertile land and water wheels that were once used to" draw water from the ground -another reminder of the city's Moorish heritage. In the distance a semi-circle of gentle hills, their slopes clad with fruit trees, frames the landscape. Villages where life goes on at the same easy pace as in centuries past, where unassuming churches conceal art works of astonishing beauty, where vestiges of the magnificence of the Romans still litter the fields. These are among the charms of Faro and its municipality, an ideal starting point for exciting voyages of discovery.

Its elevation to the status of a city, in 1540, and the transfer, in 1577, of the Episcopal seat which had until that point been located in Silves, were important steps in Faro's history. Its steady growth and its importance in the regional context were such that it was chosen as capital of the Algarve province at the time of the administrative reorganisation which took place in the 19th century.

The last few decades have made a decisive contribution to Faro's position, injecting new economic life and confirming its vocation as a service centre for the whole of the Algarve.

The construction of an international airport on the outskirts of the city in 1965 made Faro a hub for tourist traffic across the region. Other items of infrastructure which have had a positive impact on the economic, social and cultural life of the city are the University of the Algarve and the Conservatory Regional (Music Regional College), both of which have their headquarters in Faro and attract students from the rest of the region and from other parts of Portugal.

With its rich artistic heritage and many museums, hotels, restaurants and other facilities, not to mention the many attractions offered by the surrounding area, from the long beaches of Faro, Farol and Culatra Islands to the important Roman ruins at Milreu, Faro is also a city with a strong vocation for tourism.

Visiting Faro

The walls that surrounded the town in Moorish and medieval times. The vestiges of the past still to be seen in churches and museums. The refreshing verdure of a garden beside the lagoon and the sea. The outline of noble residences that bear witness to Faro's splendour in centuries past. Narrow streets of whitewashed houses that recall the town's Moorish heritage. These are among the sights to be savoured on a walk around Faro, a city where there is lots to see, to enjoy and to remember.

Historic centre

Faro's old town consists of three distinct areas - Vila-Adentro, Mouraria and Bairro Ribeirinho -each of which marks a separate stage along the city's development from the Christian reconquest to the town plan ultimately consolidated in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Vila-Adentro

[T] ArcodaVila

This monumental arch, inaugurated in 1812, was built to a design by the Italian architect Francisco Xavier Fabri over one of the medieval gates set into the ramparts. It has a niche with a statue of Saint Thomas Aquinas that is of Italian origin. Inside there is a horseshoe gate from the Moorish walls, the only one of its kind in the Algarve.

[2] Hermitage of Nossa Senhora do 6 (Our Lady of O)

Situated on the ramparts, this chapel was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1755 and has an interesting facade.
It is probably here, during the period of Moorish rule, that a statue of the Virgin mentioned in one of the Canticles of Santa Maria written by King Alfonso X of Castile (Alfonso the Wise, 1221-1284), was kept.

[3] Civil Government Building

This 19th century building stands against the ramparts. It has a symmetrical facade and a doorway crowned by a bay window.

\T\ Municipal Council

Another 19th century building, built on the site of the old municipal headquarters. Its facade was altered in the 1940s and 50s.

[5] Cathedral

All that remains of the original building (13th/l4th centuries) is the main doorway, the tower that stands over the main facade and two chapels in the transept.
Major work was required after Essex's men sacked and burned the cathedral in 1596, and again after the earth tremors of 1722 and 1755.

The interior consists of three naves with columns of the Tuscan order. The main chapel boasts a fine retable, throne and two Italian canvasses. The two collateral chapels are among the best examples of baroque carving in the Algarve. The walls and retable of the Chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento (Most Holy Sacrament) are decorated with carvings and four 18th century paintings. The Chapel of the Santo Lenho (Holy Cross) contains magnificent carvings, an important collection of relics and the tomb of the cathedral's founding bishop (18th century).

Among the side chapels, those dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Conceic,ao (Our Lady of the Conception) and Sao Domingos (St. Dominic) deserve a mention for their tile decoration and for the gothic structure that they retain; the Chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres (Our Lady of Pleasures) is a jewel of baroque art, with carvings, inlaid marble, tiles and paintings; while the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Rosario (Our Lady of the Rosary) has a carved and gilded altar-piece, panels of figurative tiles from the end of the 17th century and two curious and extremely rare lamps depicting negro figures (18th century). This last chapel is associated with a brotherhood of native Africans first formed in the 16th century.
The main chapel and side walls of the cathedral are decorated with polychrome tiles in the "tapete" pattern style at the 17th century. There is a flamboyant baroque pipe organ with painted chinoiserie ornamentation.
The cathedral's statues and carvings constitute one of the finest collections of 17th and 18th century art in the Algarve.

[f] Episcopal Palace

This is one of the Algarve's foremost buildings in the "cha" (plain) architectural style which predominated at the end of the 16th and throughout the 17th century. It was partially rebuilt after the earthquake of 1755. The doorway and the outline of the distinctive pyramid-shaped "tesouro" roofs create an interesting contrast with the strict
geometric lines of the facade. The walls of the atrium, stairway and three display rooms are clad with an important example of rocaille tile decoration from the third quarter of the 18th century. (Access is restricted).

\T\ Episcopal Seminary

Parallel to the city walls, this is a vast 18th/19th century structure connected to the palace by an arch. The windows, with their ornate stonework, date from the first phase of construction, while the remainder is from a later period and bears the hallmarks of the Italian architect Francisco Xavier Fabri, who built a number of buildings in Faro. There is an inner patio with a window in the Manueline style (l6th century). (Access is restricted).

[8] Trem and Arco Municipal Galleries

These are buildings formerly in military use that have been converted to house exhibitions of contemporary Portuguese art.

[9] Ramparts and Castle

Faro's defensive walls were raised by the Moorish prince Ben Bekr in the 9th century. The two barbican towers which defend the entrance to the Arco do Repouso (Arch of Rest), have their origin in the reinforcement of the city's defences during the 12th/13th centuries.

The attack on the city in 1596 by soldiers led by the Earl of Essex inflicted considerable damage on the walls which, after they had been rebuilt, were adapted for the use of cannon and integrated within the city's new defences.
The castle, which was an important element in the medieval defences, was also altered to meet the new challenges of artillery (17th century), with the addition of a ravelin. Major modifications were made again earlier this century, when an industrial installation was set up on the site, but the castle's imposing bulk is still discernible. In addition, a long breech was opened in the city walls to allow access via Rua do Castelo.

[To] Infante Dom Henrique Archaeological Museum (Prince Henry the Navigator) / Monastery of Nossa Senhora da Assuncao (Our Lady of the Assumption)

Raised on the site of the old Jewish quarter at the initiative of two pious sisters born in Beja, work on the church and monastery continued from 1519 until 1550. The building was completed by Queen Catarina (1507-1578) and is an important example of the art of the first renaissance in the Algarve. The church door has pilasters with figurative decoration. The cloister is on two storeys, with four sets of arcades and decorative gargoyles in the shape of animals. The decoration on the church dome is rococo (18th century). There is an interesting lookout tower (l6th century).

The museum houses a significant collection of Roman and medieval artefacts - including, most notably, a mosaic known as the "Ocean mosaic", two carved stones found in Faro bearing inscriptions that refer to Ossonoba and busts of emperors from the ruins at Milreu - as well as examples of sacred art, tiles and a variety of decorative objects (in the Ferreira de Almeida Room).

[iT] Hermitage of Nossa Senhora do Repouso (Our Lady of Rest)

This small chapel was built in the 18th century, inside one of the Moorish arches set into the ramparts.
A visit to Vila-Adentro is not complete without a walk through the streets that huddle in the shade of the city walls, among the whitewashed houses, the arches that link the buildings and the fine homes of the Cortes and Sarria families, of captain Manuel de Oliveira and Jose Maria Assis.
Mouraria.

[12] Misericordia Church (Mercy)

The church, with its adjoining hospital, was built at the end of the 16th century at the instigation of bishop Afonso Castelo Branco, over the old Manueline Espirito Santo (Holy Spirit) chapel and hospital. It is the only church in the Algarve built in the form of a Greek cross, to a plan that is believed to have been the work of an architect from Lisbon. The earthquake of 1755 caused extensive damage, prompting bishop Francisco Gomes to renovate the facade and build a new hospital (1795-1815) to a design by the Italian architect Francisco Xavier Fabri, who was also responsible for the Arco da Vila on the other side of the square.

The main altar has an interesting mannerist retable from the early part of the 17th century. The triumphal arch, decorated with a profusion of rococo carving, connects the main altar with the retables of the two collateral altars. There is a fine collection of 18th century statuary.

The arcades of the hospital building -which recall another of Fabri's works, the Ajuda Royal Palace in Lisbon - establish a harmonious connection with the main body of the church.

[|3] Algarve Regional Museum

This houses a valuable collection of objects and photographs related to the culture of the Algarve, in the context of a Territorial Interpretation Centre. It is sited in the building which is home to the District Assembly.

[14] Hermitage of NossaSenhora do P da Cruz (Our Lady of the Foot of the Cross)

This chapel dates from the 17th century and has been altered since. The edge of the fagade and the large front window are profusely decorated in the rococo style (third quarter of the 18th century). The main chapel and triumphal arch are adorned with gilded carving. There is a statue of the patron saint (17th century) and twelve large canvasses depicting scenes from the old testament (18th century). On the rear facade is a monumental station of the cross bearing an unusual depiction of Nosso Senhor dos Aflitos (Our Lord of the Afflicted) made of cut tiles (18th century). The dome is finished with elaborate decoration in the rococo style.

[15] The 17th century city walls

Faro retains a section of the defensive walls built in the 17th century that once surrounded the whole of the city, but had already been partially destroyed by the beginning of the 19th century. Troops on the Liberal side made use of them when they defended the city against Miguelist forces in the context of the struggle between those who believed in a constitution and their opponents, who favoured a return to absolutism. The area enclosed by the walls corresponds to Faro's old town.

[16] Celeiro de Sao Francisco (Granary of St. Francis)

This octagonal structure (18th century) was built within a garden as a place to take shelter from the heat.
The representations in mortarwork of Hercules and the giant Adamastor which adorn two sides of the facade are curious examples of the tastes of the age. The arms of the nobleman on whose orders the building was erected are visible over the door.

The Manuel Bivar Gardens are the site of the Praga da Rainha (Queen's Square), created at the end of the 15th century, and an elegant bandstand dating from the end of the 19th century: they are like a cool reception room for visitors to the city. After seeing the gardens it is time to wander around Mouraria, the old Moorish quarter, which contains a variety of buildings charting the different stages in Faro's history. These include the many houses whose facades are ennobled by carved stonework, bay windows and impressive cornerstones and which have the pyramidal "tesouro" roofs typical of the architecture of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, as well as buildings borne of the revivalist fashions of the beginning of this century: the Paldcio Belmarco, commissioned by a wealthy merchant, and the Banco de Portugal building, executed in the neo-Manueline style with an eminently Moorish-looking doorway. The tour ends at the Cafe Alianga, the oldest cafe in Faro and a place of strong cultural traditions, which stands alongside the walls of the garden that was our starting point.
Bairro Ribeirinho

[17] Church of Sao Pedro (St. Peter)

Built in the 16th century on the site of a 15th century mariners' chapel, this church, like many others, underwent extensive modifications following the earthquake of 1755.

It has a portico in the mannerist style (end of the 16th century), with a niche containing a statue of the patron saint. The interior consists of three naves, with columns which are copied from those in the cathedral, put in at the time of the rebuilding work in the 18th century.

The main chapel has a carved retable from the end of the 17th century which belongs to the Experimental Baroque period. The Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Vitoria (Our Lady of Victory) belonging to the Compromisso Maritimo is an important example of rococo carving (third quarter of the 18th century). The Chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento (Most Holy Sacrament) contains profuse carved baroque decoration, including a bas-relief depicting the Last Supper (mid-18th century). The Capela das Almas (Chapel of Souls) has a carved retable and an important collection of narrative tiles (18th century).
A stone statue of Nossa Senhora da Esperanca (Our Lady of Hope) (15th century) taken from a former chapel and a finely-modelled Santa Ana (St. Anne) attributed to the sculptor Machado de Castro (18th century) are two of the items in this church's fine collection of art works, which also includes paintings and statues from monasteries deconsecrated in the 19th century.

[18] Carmo Church (Carmel)

The bulky form of the Carmo church, with its imposing facade and twin bell-
towers, stands out against the city skyline. Building work on it continued throughout virtually the whole of the 18th century and into the first years of the 19th (the last bell-tower was completed in 1807).
The main chapel and side altars are decorated with a profusion of gilded carving (18th century). The church houses an important collection of religious statuary, including nine statues of the Triumphal procession which are the work of the Algarvean sculptor and carver Manuel Martins and fine examples of the Algarvean baroque. The sacristy ceiling displays box vaulting decorated with painted panels. In the adjoining patio there is a fascinating but rather sinister Chapel of Bones (1816).

|19] Church and Monastery of the Capuchos (Capuchins)

Built at the beginning of the 17th century, this structure has a facade typical of capuchin architecture, with arcades and a statue set in a niche.

The main altar and collateral altars are adorned with gilded carvings of great beauty (18th century). There is an important collection of 18th century narrative tiles in the main chapel (episodes from the life of St. Anthony) and on the side walls (Death of St. Anthony and Descent from the Cross).
There is a small, harmonious cloister. (Access is restricted).

[20] House of the "Compromisso Maritimo"

The Compromisso Maritimo was a welfare institution for the sailors and fishermen on whom Faro's prosperity was long founded. This building dates from the beginning of the 18th century and was erected on the site of a house built in the Middle Ages. The main facade has a niche containing a statue of St. Pedro Goncalves Telmo. The arches of the lateral facade used to house the old mariners' slaughterhouse. On the upper storey is the Sala de Despacho (Assembly Hall), which has a box-vaulted ceiling decorated with oil paintings.

|2i] Customs House

Built in the 16th century, the customs house was greatly altered in the course of the 19th century.

[22] Madalena Chapel

This is a late medieval building which underwent extensive restoration in the 19th century to serve as the private chapel of a local merchant's home.

A tour of the Bairro Ribeirinho must include a walk around the narrow streets whose facades are studded, here and there, with elaborate stonework and where the horizon is regularly marked by the four symmetrical pitches of pyramidal "tesouro" roofs. Of particular interest are the Paldcio dos Bivar, the finest neoclassical building in the Algarve (early 19th century), with its ornate main doorway and long row of bay windows; the 18th century Solar do Capitdo-Mor, a good example of Faro's baroque architecture; the Casa dos Lamprier, which was home to an English family in the 18th century and whose windows boast fine mouldings; and the Casa dos Azulejos, built in 1926, which has an extensive pediment decorated with mortarwork reliefs in the Algarvean style.

The new town

Since the end of the 19th century the city has expanded beyond its defensive walls, into an area once occupied by farms and smallholdings. This was where Faro's newly wealthy middle classes chose to build their luxurious residences. The Palacio Fialho, a vast country house in the classical French style built at the beginning of this century, is undoubtedly the best example of the ostentatious desire of industrialists and merchants to affirm their social status in bricks and mortar. Other such homes are the Palacete Guerreirinho which, although as recent as 1936, has a facade decorated in the neo-classical style; the Vivenda Marilia (1930), a delicious melange of styles not without a certain Moorish flavour; and the Casa Mateus de Silveira, from the end of the 19th century, which incorporated a town farm.

[23] Hermitage of Sao Sebastiao (St. Sebastian)

Of the original medieval structure all that remains is a gothic chapel with a panelled vault. The main chapel has a carved and gilded retable (18th century) and the walls are decorated with blue and white and patterned polychrome tiles (17th century).

[24] Hermitage of Nossa Senhora da Esperanca (Our Lady of Hope).

Originally built in the 15th/l6th centuries, this chapel was rebuilt in the 18th century. Its cupola and bell-tower are decorated with rococo ornamentation. At one time there was a lepers' hospital attached to it.

[25] Hermitage of Santo Antonio do Alto / Antonine Museum

Built beside a watchtower in the Middle Ages, the chapel retains from this period a stone marking the year of its construction - 1355 - and has a panelled vault which dates from the early 16th century. It was restored in the 18th century and its main chapel houses a magnificent carved and gilded retable. The adjoining building contains the Antonine Museum, which has a collection of statues, paintings and engravings alluding to Saint Anthony.

[26] Hermitage of Sao Luis (St. Louis)

Located on what were once the outskirts of the city, this is a 17th century structure which was extensively rebuilt at the beginning of the 19th century. There is a carved neo-classical retable on the main altar. Interesting cupola.

[27] Hermitage of Sao Miguel (St Michael)

This was the private chapel (18th century) of a nobleman's house and has
a facade of striking simplicity. It has a retable in the rocaille style and statues of Nossa Senhora da Saude (Our Lady of Salvation), the Archangel Michael and the Anjo da Guarda (Guardian Angel).

[28] Jewish Cemetery

Created in 1820, this was the burial ground for the town's Jewish population until 1932. More than one hundred headstones bearing inscriptions in Hebrew testify to the centuries-old presence of the Jewish community in Faro.

[29] Lethes Theatre

A former college of the Society of Jesus (l6th/18th centuries), this building has the sober facade typical of Jesuit buildings. It was turned into a theatre in 1845 and is an interesting example of a 19th/20th century provincial playhouse.

[30] Horta do Ourives

Adjoining the main house, which dates from the 17th century and displays the typical "tesouro" roofs and bay windows with wrought iron bars, is an octagonal chapel, built in the 18th century, which is among the most interesting examples of baroque architecture in the Algarve.

Opposite stands the curious Casa das Figuras, formerly a warehouse for the farm on which the country house was situated, which has a mortarwork border decorated with a variety of curious motifs: winged dragons with human faces, dolphins and, above the rest, a negro's torso.

[31] Church of the Ordem Terceira de Sao Francisco (Third Order of St. Francis)

Work on the original church began at the end of the 17th century. Considered too small for the congregation it attracted, it was enlarged over a period running from the middle of the 18th century to the initial decades of the 19th, at which time the fagade was completed.

The narrative tiles which adorn the walls of the main chapel and the carved cornice are from the beginning of the 18th century. The tiles on the vault are from later in the same century; rebuilt after the earthquake of 1755, the vault has at its centre a fine polychrome panel depicting the Coronation of the Virgin. The main altar and the eight-sectioned dome over the transept are decorated with magnificent carving in the rocaille style (third quarter of the 18th century). Other parts of the church are decorated with panels of 17th and 18th century tiles. There is an interesting collection of mannequins that are intended to be dressed and used in the Cinzas (Ashes) and Dores (Pains) processions. There is a series of Italian paintings (end of the 18th century) depicting the life of the patron saint. The cloister is pleasantly harmonious. Next to the church is the building which used to be a monastery but which has now been turned into a Catering and Tourism College.

[32] Maritime Museum

This museum houses a small but interesting ethnographic collection related to marine activities and fishing in the Algarve, including models of the different types of vessel used.

Faro Municipality

Beaches

The long strip of dunes that separates the sea from the Ria Formosa is a paradise for anyone who enjoys sun, sand and sea. With the advantage that visitors can choose from a necklace of separate islands, and have mile after mile of sandy beaches all to themselves.

liha de Faro - Linked to the mainland by a road, this island has a small nucleus of beach houses, restaurants and other tourist facilities.

liha de Barreta - This island is truly calm and solitary, thanks to the fact that there are no regular ferry connections. It is an excellent destination for anyone who has hired a boat or is lucky enough to have their own and who wants to enjoy the pleasures of sea and sand undisturbed by other holidaymakers.

liha do Farol - Apart from a few fishermen's cabins, there is nothing on these islands but sand...
Culatra - A former fishing village, until a few decades ago the houses of Culatra had wooden walls and thatched roofs. Fishing still goes on, and shell fish are harvested from the Ria. There is an extensive beach which is quiet, with a family atmosphere.

Regular steam boat services run to the Farol and Culatra beaches from Faro (summer) and Olhdo (all year).

The delights of good cooking

All of the Algarve's best-knowrn dishes can be tasted in Faro. But anyone who wants to try the typical fishermen's recipes should sample the local fish soup and the traditional razor clam risotto.
Choosing among the many local cakes and desserts is a hard task because they all make extensive use of the tasty local figs and almonds. The best way to round off a meal is a glass of fig brandy or "medronho", a spirit made with the fruit of the strawberry tree.

Popular crafts

Faro is an ideal place to explore the colourful world of Algarvean crafts. Tiles decorated with traditional motifs are produced locally. Further inland, in Santa Barbara de Nexe and Estoi, the womenfolk still weave and plait palm leaves to make baskets, hats and mats.