Visit the Churches of Óbidos

The population occupation of the perimeter that currently forms the town of Óbidos is recorded from prehistoric times, when the first settlement was formed near the Óbidos lagoon, that at the time was 10 times larger then nowadays, surrounding the region now occupied by the castle and its walls.

Throughout the times many ancient civilizations conquered and occupied this region, such as the Phoenicians, Celts, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs and finality by the troops of D. Afonso Henriques, the 1st King of Portugal, at the time of the Christian reconquest.

This ancient multicultural presence in Óbidos influenced deeply the architectural of religious temples in the village. It is believed that  some of the most imposing churches in Óbidos were in fact mosques, in times of Arabic occupation. In the particular case of the mother church of Santa Maria, archaeologists believe that the initial construction was based with pieces of ancient roman buildings gathered from the local city ruins of Eburobrittium.

There are several churches within and out the walls of the Castle, many of them subject to the evolutions of the different artistic styles of the time.

Churches like the St. Peter, Misericórdia, Santiago, St. Maria or Sr. Jesus da Pedra are just a few examples of the magnificent religious patrimony that Óbidos has to offer.

In this activity, the PureWest - Portugal Experiences will guide you trough all this rich landmarks, while explaining all the history and legends that still mark this amazing town!