English

Often referred to as “the Cradle of the Portuguese Nation”, an honorary title due to this being the birthplace os Portugal’s first King. Guimarães catches the attention of all outsiders with the singularity of it´s appearance.
From the old town with rocky crown to the presente day town with it´s numerous tanniers and weaving, spinning and cuttery factories.
Guimarães is truly a paradoxical city mixing both the density of it´s evocative atmosphere and the intensity of it´s insdustrial activity.
Historical remnants lurk beneath the rumbling factories; amidst them all, one stands out in particular; the first King of Portugal was Guimarães born, Afonso Henriques, the inexhaustible fighter and brilliant statesman, a self made warrior. On the threshold os adolescence; is the hallowed hushed dawn of the Astroga Cathedral; after the hard fighting wich stopped in view of Guimarães castle in 1128, he was recognized for his natural qualities as a Prince by the men at arms of the Douro and Entre Minho provinces.
Afonso Henriques was not one to stop and worship his newly won lands; no, conversely he tore through it in breathless gasping gallops, slashing out boundaies with the edge of his sword.
Headstrong yet rational he had a goal to reach that goal he would do battle for more than half a century.
Neither his mothers love not the respect he held for his mentor the old and exceptional Egaz Moniz would be sufficient to put a stop to him. He had one ambition; to create a land for himself and his descendants.
With the simplicity and depth wich are the hallmack os a genius. Camões wrote in his poem (Lusiadas, canto III est. XXXI) about the forces wich moved the young prince to such determinal rebellion culminating in the battle of S.Mamede.
“From Guimarães the field was stained with the blood from the war´s own guts, where his mother who so litle resembled him refused her son both love and land.
With him, in the battlefield, one could see but she can´t see (such arrogance!) the errors she makes against god, against motherly love!…
But in her the sensual was more powerful.”
In this beautiful piece about Guimarães by Raul Proença in his book “Guide to Portugal” (Vol. IV Part II, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation) he has blended together a little history os a city and a region wich was already heavily populated way many runs to prove this old time presence like: Penha, Polvoveira, Briteiros and Sabrosa.
Guimarães was A CITANIA, A Roman town, A Barbarian And Chritian population until the ninth century.
In the tenth century the region was invaded both by the Moors and the Normans, attacks wich brought about the construction of the Castle of Guimarães (vimaranes). This project was encouraged by the countress Mumadona who was the protectress of the dual monastery / runney of Stª Mary, St. Salvador and all Saints, Guimarães grew up around this monestery.
In 1111 the future King of Portugal is born, he is knighted in Zamora Cathedral in 1125. 1127 gives us the siege of Guimarães, the battle os S.Mamede is fought and consequently won on June 24th 1128. With Afonso Henriques victory over his mother and his ensuring sovereignity of the Kingdon of Portugal; June 24th 1128 became known as Portugal first day.
Wondering trhough the old “Afonsinian” boroughs one chances upon the occasional nook and cranny monument or ruin wich one instinctively knows are indelible marks of Portuguese history.
Nowadays Guimarães is a city proud of his past wich it preserves with dignity and self-esteem, but Guimarães also looks ahead to he future with it´s various tourist and cultural attractions, guaranteed to satisfy even the discening visitor.