Viana do Castelo

STEEPED IN RICH HISTORY, LUSH AND DIVERSE NATURE, STUNNING VIEWS, ANCIENT CELTIC SETTLEMENTS, MEDIEVAL MONUMENTS AND AWARDWINNING CONTEMPORARY BUILDINGS, VIANA DO CASTELO IS A VISUAL LOVE SONG YOU WILL WANT TO SWAY IN FOR AT LEAST A COUPLE OF DAYS

Words: CHRISTINA MORENO

EVEN IF you’ve never set foot in Viana, you’ve likely encountered one of her classic postcard-portraits somewhere –the ones prominently featuring the Santa Luzia Sanctuary against the stunning panorama backdrop.

Just a 30-minute drive from Porto, Braga, and Spain, this northern portcity where ‘bacalhau’ first landed has been a cherished stop on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route since medieval times.

Viana’s rich and prosperous history is rooted in its significant role during the 15th and 16th centuries as one of Portugal’s primary departure ports for grand expeditions. The coastal village thrived as an international port, facilitating trade in salt, fruits, and wine with northern Europe, all in exchange for the coveted bacalhau. And in 1848, in recognition of its strategic importance, Queen Maria II granted Viana the esteemed status of a city.

Viana’s love language

Viana do Castelo proudly showcases its identity through its lovely logo, a red filigree heart. The city’s love language is evident everywhere. The official website unveils its flirty motto: ‘Those who like it, arrive; those who love it, stay.’ Inspired by the rich history and the surrounding natural beauty, the city openly professes both its love for tradition and its passion for the contemporary.

As you wander Viana’s charming streets, you’ll encounter signs that encourage you to ‘feel the history and embrace the tradition.’

One passionate group of citizens, known as Reabilitar Viana, has been on a journey to rejuvenate the entire city. For the past six years, they have been restoring historical buildings and providing modern, sustainable housing solutions for local residents. Their website announces they have so far delivered “15 buildings with new hearts beating, 14 streets with new beauty, and a city with new people!”

Beyond its architectural splendour, Viana do Castelo demonstrates a profound commitment to environmental stewardship. The city stands at the forefront of sustainable innovation and is internationally renowned for its research centres specializing in clean energy production, as well as wind and wave energy conversion. Under the ambitious ‘Agenda 2030 for the Economy of the Sea,’ the city aspires to attract over €500 million in investment to fund cuttingedge research and innovation in the blue economy sector.

Praça da República: the heart of the city

As you wander towards the centre, there are seven charming streets that will lead you into the Praça da República, the café-lined, square-shaped heart of Viana. Facing the Museu do Traje (costume museum) across the square, you’ll discover three iconic 16th-century treasures, starting with the Chafariz, the fountain that once served as the primary source of drinking water for the town and a hub of social interaction. Adjacent to it, you’ll find the old Town Hall, constructed with stones from the city’s ancient walls, and the Casa da Misericórdia, which provided essential care for pilgrims en route to Santiago de Compostela. Today, the site also boasts an 18th-century church that was later added into the hospital’s structure.

Statues everywhere

The city is filled with statues with interesting stories and meanings. Among them is the beautiful Statue of Viana (1774) in the city’s waterfront public garden. Crowned with a castle while holding a caravel in one hand and a (currently missing) sceptre in the other, she stands high as Queen of the Sea. It is surrounded by four busts that symbolize the four cardinal directions and continents that played a pivotal role in Viana’s journeys to prosperity. Further down and closer to the waterfront, you may encounter the statue of João Álvares Fagundes (1460–1522), a native Vianense well-liked ship owner and navigator who reached the shores of the American Northeast, today known as the Canadian Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Santa Luzia, Queen of the Hill, Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart

Perhaps the most precious treasure to adorn Viana is the one that summons us from the luscious green hilltop. Initially appearing modest when viewed from the city below, this precious gem reveals its true magnificence and breathtaking view once we reach the top of the 250-meter elevation.

If Praça da República is the heart of Viana, then Santa Luzia is its sursum corda, her heart...

To reach this awe-inspiring viewpoint, you’re invited on a mini-pilgrimage of your own – whether it’s ascending the 660 steps from the city centre, or enjoying a leisurely ride in the charmingly slow funicular. Religious or not, once there, you could invoke a feeling of ‘greater than us-ness’ by continuing on the ascending pilgrimage inside the church to the very top to the full panoramic view that Nat Geo once ranked as the third most beautiful in the world.

Speaking from personal experience, I can attest that the climb requires a bit of courage in overcoming some claustro-acro-phobia. It felt like a metaphor for living without fear: one step at a time, without trying to see too far ahead or around. It was worth it. The sanctuary was named after a small medieval chapel dedicated to the patron saint of sight, Santa Luzia.

Now just reaching the age of qualifying for senior discounts, the Santa Luzia basilica, completed in 1959, exudes an aura of age beyond its years. The design was conceived in the imagination of architect Miguel Ventura Terra, of 1898. It was born of a mixture of Byzantine and Gothic lineage. The ground it was built on is said to be one of Portugal’s most ancient inhabited sites, its history stretching back an astonishing

7,000 years. Behind the basilica lie the remnants of an ancient Celtic settlement, a constellation of circular ruins from the Iron Age, built well before Roman occupation.

Festival of Nossa Senhora da Agonia

Every year, in August, Viana’s streets come alive with coloured salt and flower carpets, giant drums, colourful parades and religious processions – all in reverence for Our Lady of Sorrows, the patron saint of fishermen. This event, also known for being the world’s largest public display of gold, is one you will want to witness at least once in your Portugal life.

Women and girls dress in their finest folklore costumes from various villages belonging to Viana. They adorn themselves with mountains of Viana-famous, large gold filigree jewellery pieces that are usually actual heirlooms. Fishermen decorate their boats with beautiful garlands and flower arrangements in preparation for the sacred procession out to sea. At night the town is illuminated by a spectacular fireworks display that lights up the whole city.

The festival’s origins can be traced back to a Catholic feast day in 1744, dedicated to the Virgin Mary as Nossa Senhora da Agonia. The women’s procession represents a heartfelt plea to Mary to calm the seas and protect their men when they are off fishing.

Most of the festivities, which stretch over a few days, take place in the Praça da Républica. On 20 August, the Procession out to Sea sees devotees carrying Nossa Senhora da Agonia, dressed in her blue and purple cloak, as well as other sacred figures to bless the fishing boats and the Lima river ensuring its tranquility and abundance.

An August visit to the city beckons...

Opposite page, top left, clockwise: Viana’ s contemporary library; pipe organ of the Misericordia Church; Praça da República in the heart of the city; streets of the old town. This page, below: Viana’s famous filigree jewellery; right: The Axis Viana Hotel, the most modern in its category in the country; inset: FeelViana Sport Hotel

The Museu do Traje If you prefer to steer clear of massive crowds, the Costume Museum in the heart of the city is a respectable alternative. Housing an incredible collection of traditional costumes, embroideries and gold jewellery, the museum’s display has enough to keep you busy for a couple of hours. Their Vault Collection downstairs, featuring the famous wearable heart of gold and other Arab-technique-inspired filigree jewellery, is absolutely gorgeous.

Making Viana more famous

Did you know that the many legends about the sacred heart of Viana have inspired an upcoming animated 3D feature film, made in Portugal. It is called Viana, The Legend of the Golden Hearts and it will be in theatres near us by Christmas 2024.

I could go on about other beautiful Viana things such as the traditional ceramics you can visit at the Museum of Decorative Arts or the intricate ship replicas crafted by a local boat fisherman-turned-artist displayed upstairs. If you love contemporary architecture, I could tell you a little more about Viana’s Pritzker Prizewinning library building, the industrial-looking Cultural Centre and the Hotel Áxis. I could mention the Gil Eannes Hospital Ship, originally built in Viana in 1955 to support the Portuguese cod fishing fleet working near Newfoundland and Greenland. But space is running out and I hope to leave you curious and tempted.