What looks like a medieval castle is actually a religious building
Located outside the city walls, on the road to the train station, this extraordinary building looks like a medieval castle but is a sanctuary dedicated to St. Blaise, completed in 1485 in thanksgiving for the end of the plague epidemic.
It was sponsored by King João II, and features large battlements, gargoyles, and round buttresses, in a style mixing Manueline (Portuguese Gothic) and Mudéjar (partly Gothic, partly Moorish) elements.
The architecture mixes Portuguese Gothic and the Mudéjar style
The interior is accessed through gothic arches, but is not always open to visitors. It features Moorish-style tiles from the 16th century and gilded chapels added in the 18th century. The chancel has a gilded altarpiece with a wooden image of St. Blaise.
Avenida Dr. Francisco Barahona, 1
To guarantee that you find the doors open, pass by just before Mass, which takes place at 6pm on weekdays and at 11:30am on Sundays.