Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zone World Heritage Site

Official name

Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zone | UNESCO

Country

Portugal | Map

Continent

Europe

Location

Province of Minho, District of Braga
41.4430° Lat, -8.2927° Lon | Map

Code

1031

Time Zone

Europe/Lisbon (WET, +0000)

Current Time

Category

Cultural

Description

Inscribed 2001. The historic town of Guimarães is associated with the emergence of the Portuguese national identity in the 12th century. An exceptionally well-preserved and authentic example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town, its rich building typology exemplifies the specific development of Portuguese architecture from the 15th to 19th century through the consistent use of traditional building materials and techniques. The property includes two monastic complexes and an industrial area, the Couros Zone, which, like the local river, was named after the traditional craft of leather tanning. Evidence of the craft, though no longer practiced, persists in the form of tanneries, workers' houses and urban spaces from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The property bears witness to a thousand years of Portuguese urban, architectural and societal developments.