Santarém is a small city on the Tagus river about an hour’s drive North of Lisbon. The town has been around for hundreds of years, but has sadly lost its former glory. It lies on a hill in the middle of a plain with the river running through. It’s surrounded by agriculture and lots of vineyards. The Portuguese royals used to reside in Santarém and the city had a very prosperous period throughout the Middle Ages. Therefore the place is rich in monuments and worth a visit.
I arrived in Santarém after 3 days of walking on the Caminho Português from Lisbon. Before I even visited my hostel I sat down in a café to enjoy a tea with cake. After all, I had just finished my 33 km walk with the road uphill and I wanted to reward myself for my good efforts. I was well aware that I was a bit smelly, but my backpack made it clear why. I really love the Portuguese custom of going to a pastelaria for a break. It’s so nice to unwind a bit after walking all day.
After a shower I decided to explore the city further. My hostel was right in the old town, which is where all the sights are. There are narrow one way streets with black and white mosaic sidewalks. I can tell that this was a lively and cosy shopping area, probably only some years ago. But now most of the shop windows were empty. It seemed that most shops had moved to the bigger mall on the edge of the old town. There are a few shops and cafés left, but even though it was a Saturday, there was hardly anyone on the streets.
The Cathedral and Museu Diocesano
It got much livelier when I arrived at the Church of Our Lady of the Conception of the Jesuit College. What a mouthful! In front of the impressive church is a big square paved with white tiles. It’s a pedestrian zone for the most part, with only a small road marked by concrete balls. Teenagers were skateboarding near a statue and adults were having a coffee at the terrace of a popular pastelaria. I saw three other tourists entering a door next to the cathedral, the entrance to the museu diocesano de Santarem.
Inside I found a small museum with a few rooms with religious art and objects. I wandered passed the art before I entered the cathedral itself. Once there, I stopped and stared. Although it was beautiful from the outside; white, with a few layers of windows and elegant, round decorations that looked almost like a crown at the top, the inside was unexpectedly decorative. Especially the ceiling impressed me. It seemed to light up the whole room with the ample gold that was used. In the middle was a detailed painting with lots of contrast that jumped out of the golden frame. It was certainly the eye catcher in the church.
Igreja da Graça and Igreja de Santa Maria de Marvila
Santarém is rich in churches. I decided to visit two more: Igreja da Graça and Igreja de Santa Maria de Marvila. Igreja da Graça is a solemn looking gothic building. The simple brick makes the beautifully carved rose window stand out. It’s like a mandala that demands attention. I guess there’s something to say for the simplicity of the outside. Inside, the church is quite simple as well, but it is still a national monument and the man who discovered Brazil, Pedro Álvares Cabral, a town resident, is buried here.
Igreja de Santa Maria de Marvila was quite unique and a pleasant surprise. On the inside the church is decorated with azulejo tiles, giving it a completely different atmosphere and look from all the other churches I’d been in. The traditional tiles create intricate patters with blue and yellow diamond patterns. Where you usually see dark paintings of Jesus’ journey and scenes from the Bible, here you see fresh tiles that form a stark contrast to the heavy, dark, wooden benches and ceiling. It gives the church a much lighter appearance than most other churches. Outside, you’ll see many houses with azulejo tiles as well.
Jardim das Portas do Sol
A must see in Santarém is the Jardim das Portas do Sol. This peaceful park used to be castle. Now it has walkways on the remnants of the walls and a café where locals and visitors come to enjoy a coffee break. It’s a beautiful, green and well-kept park, but the reason you need to see it is the views you get from the walls. You can walk all around the edge of the hill and admire the vast plains stretching out towards the South and East.
Even though I felt the city was in decline, I thought it was charming and well worth a look. I loved wandering through the small streets, finding unexpected street art and beautifully tiled buildings. I really hope the inner city will be preserved and some shops or restaurants will find their way back there. The light colored houses with French balconies, the cobbled streets, the mosaics and tiled houses create such a nice picture. It just needs to get the liveliness of people back.
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