Churches

Imposing 17th century monastery overlooking Lisbon. Built in the Mannerist style the monastery's Pantheon contains the tombs of the House of Braganza.

Small whitewashed 18th century church located within the walls of Braganca castle. Best known for its vivid depiction of the Assumption on its barrel-shaped ceiling

Built in 1704 on the site of the miraculous apparition of a cross. The small, domed church is octagonal and built in a granite/whitewash style common to the north of Portugal. Like many churches in Portugal, the relative plainness of the exterior does not hint at the lavish interior.

Built in 1565 and restored in 1691, São Vicente sits on the site of a much earlier Visigoth church. As with many catholic churches the rather functional exterior does not betray the luxurious interior.

This 16th century church is Braga's most important legacy of the renaissance period. It contains an impressive baroque carved altar

Late 19th-century domed church on the outskirts of Braga looking out over the Minho

The Igreja de São Paulo (St Paul) is a small, austere looking 16th-century church built by the Jesuits. By contrast, the interior is an explosion of lavish baroque

Work began on the Basilica of the Igreja dos Congregados in the early 18th century when baroque styling was all the rage. By the time it was finished in the 1960s rococo and neoclassical had been and gone. The result, all the same is a stunning church both inside and out.

The church was designed by architect André Soares and features two bell towers. The façade also has two notable statues by sculptor Manuel Nogueira da Silva - these represent saints Filipe de Nery and Martinho de Dume and were the final part of the church to be completed in 1964.

Completed in 1739, this proto-Baroque style features a distinctive façade of azulejo tilework. Inside is a retable by the Italian artist Nicolau Nasoni

The Basílica da Estrela in Lisbon is a huge baroque/neoclassical church with a most impressive dome. It was built by order of Queen Maria I of Portugal to celebrate the birth of her first (and only) son, José, Prince of Brazil. It is perhaps no coincidence that the styling is similar to the National Palace in Mafra as this was built by her father, João V, to celebrate the birth of his own first child.