CASTELO DE VIANA DO ALENTEJO

This architectural ensemble, listed as a national monument, is of rare elegance: the fortified walls of a castle protect several residential buildings from their ochre-coloured ramparts, as well as a beautiful white church, the Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Anunciação, and a smaller one, the Igreja da Misericórdia de Viana :

Castelo de Viana do Alentejo: built in the ^14th century, this castle retains only its irregular pentagonal plan, part of the enclosure walls and one of its three original gates. Its five original cylindrical towers housed the original town hall, the town's first cemetery and the primitive mother church, dedicated to Santa Maria de Foxem. The buildings visible today were erected, for the most part, during the reigns of João II and Manuel ^I. It was the work campaigns of the ^16th century, under the orders of Diogo de Arruda, that gave it its current appearance, with the appearance of two religious buildings and changes to the wall, notably with the introduction of crenellated ramparts.

Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Anunciação: one of Portugal's most interesting Manueline temples. The Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation was designed by Diogo Arruda, brother of Francisco de Arruda, architect of the famous Belém Tower. Set against the ramparts, it stands out for its whiteness and size. It is an example of the diversity of styles typical of the architecture of Manuel ^I 's time: a mixture of Gothic, Manueline exuberance, Mudejar influence and a few touches of Renaissance style. The simple portal is an interesting example of Manueline architecture. Religious symbolism, expressed in motifs such as the vine, mingles with royal symbolism, with the royal shield and the cross of the Order of Christ.

Igreja da Misericórdia de Viana: the Church of Mercy, also in Manueline style, has a rectangular plan of more modest dimensions, a product of the architectural modifications the building underwent throughout the ^20th century. Designed by the same architect as the Igreja Matriz, it features a colorful rectangular nave lined with polychrome azulejo panels. Don't miss its sculpted high altar and richly decorated entrance portal. As it is not used for religious purposes, the church hosts a series of temporary exhibitions every year.