Porta da Vila

Since Óbidos remains a walled city, the Porta da Vila main gateway continues to be as important as ever. Leading onto Rua Direita, the town's high street, the gate actually takes the form of a small tower. Inside the fourteenth-century structure you'll find a Baroque upper balcony that was once used as an oratory (Oratório da Nossa Senhora da Piedade) and for public announcements.

The ornate entrance portal was decorated in 1740 with the blue and white azulejo tiles, typical throughout Portugal, with the complex artwork including references to the Passion of Christ and Virgin Mary, the town's patron saint.

Originally the outer arch (Passos do Calvário) would have closed at night. Also worth noting is the fact that the entranceways on either side of the building do not face each other, but are diagonally opposite, to try and prevent a surprise cavalry attack.

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