Lamego and its baroque staircase
Lamego is known for the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios and the great staircase that climbs to it past fountains and courtyards. Read on for a cathedral city in the Port wine region, its September romaria, cured hams and sparkling wines, and the carved carnival masks of Lazarim.
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Lamego is a city in the Douro sub-region, in the district of Viseu, and part of the Port wine demarcated region. Its roots go back to Roman times, when the area was home to the Coilarni, and a bishop of Lamego is already recorded at the Council of Lugo in 570. The Visigothic king Sisebut minted coins here, and after changing hands several times the city was finally taken from the Moors by Ferdinand the Great of León on 29 November 1057. According to legend, the Cortes of Lamego acclaimed Afonso Henriques as King of Portugal here and set the rules of succession to the throne. Lamego is the seat of a diocese, the only one in Portugal whose seat is not a district capital.
The city's best-known landmark is the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios. Its first stone was laid in 1750, and the baroque granite church is believed to have been designed by Nicolau Nasoni; its two towers followed between 1880 and 1905. The great staircase below it, begun in 1777 and only finished in the 20th century, climbs past fountains and courtyards, above all the Pátio dos Reis, with an obelisk about 15 metres high and statues of the last 18 names of the House of David. The annual Romaria de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios has its main day on 8 September, the municipal holiday. Among the other religious monuments, the municipality highlights the cathedral and the Church of São Pedro de Balsemão.
Lamego is also known for its cured hams, roast kid with oven-baked rice, Port wine and sparkling wines. In the municipality's village of Lazarim, the Entrudo carnival is famous for its hand-carved alder-wood masks and the caretos who parade through the streets to the sound of drums.
The craft beer scene in Lamego is still waiting to be discovered. With the Douro valley all around, travellers can look to nearby towns to see what is being poured.
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Frequently asked questions
The great staircase climbs to the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, past fountains and courtyards. Begun in 1777 and only finished in the 20th century, it is crowned by the Pátio dos Reis, with an obelisk about 15 metres high and statues of the last 18 names of the House of David.
The main day of the annual Romaria de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios is 8 September, which is also the municipal holiday in Lamego. The pilgrimage centres on the baroque granite sanctuary, whose first stone was laid in 1750 and whose two towers were added between 1880 and 1905.
Lamego is known for its cured hams, roast kid with oven-baked rice, Port wine and sparkling wines. The city lies in the Douro sub-region and is part of the Port wine demarcated region, so local wines are a natural part of any visit to the area.
In the village of Lazarim, in the municipality of Lamego, the Entrudo carnival is famous for its hand-carved alder-wood masks. The caretos wearing them parade through the streets to the sound of drums, making it one of the best-known carnival traditions in the region.