Oleh Shpytko
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Viseu Cathedral
Type: Cathedral / national monument
Time spent: 30-40 min
Parking: available (large)
Bike parking: not available
Price: 2.5 EUR/free
The church was built in the 12th century and is the most important historical monument in the town. It is currently a mix of architectural styles, especially from the Manueline, Renaissance, and Mannerist periods. Archaeological surveys have indicated that the site of Viseu Cathedral was occupied by an Early Christian basilica built during the times of Sueve domination (5th-6th centuries). The bishopric seat was re-established in the mid-12th century when the current cathedral building started being erected, but little remains from this early Romanesque building except for some architectural details. The church was greatly enlarged in the following centuries of the Middle Ages, assuming its present configuration as a three-aisled building with three Eastern chapels. Some Gothic chapels in the cloisters also date from this period.