"One of Portugal's most roma ..." a Óbidos Travel Page by a2lopes

Óbidos is a small town (approx 3000 inhabitants) located in the district of Leiria approx 100 Km North of Lisboa, on the top of a hill not far from the sea. It is the seat of the Municipality of the same name.

The fortified hilltop village is enclosed by high (approx 12 to 15m), castellated medieval walls. It sits on a limestone ridge, overlooking a 16th century aqueduct. Until the 15th century, it overlooked the sea, but the bay filled with silt, leaving a lagoon, and the town became landlocked.
The walls date back to the Moors of the 8th century, but were ineffective in protecting them against king Afonso Henriques (first Portuguese king). He was a fierce warrior and conquered the town in 1148. This is one of seven castles seized from the Moors by Afonso Henriques which appears in the official Portuguese coat of arms.

Within the walls is the picturesque old town full of interesting corners and alleys with handsome patrician Renaissance and Baroque houses, most of them covered in flowers.
Óbidos reputation dates back to the 13th century when the honeymooning Queen Isabel of Aragon loved the enchanting village so much, that King Dinis presented it to her as a wedding gift. That tradition lasted 600 years. Every Queen of Portugal was presented with Óbidos as part of her dowry.

---

Resembling an open-air museum, this walled medieval town has been preserved to look like a picture-postcard, with its monuments, narrow cobblestone streets with white-washed houses and different shades of blue and yellow windows and doors and terraces full of flowers.

There are four entrances to the town, but only one for tourists. Cars, unless owned and driven by a resident, are absolutely forbidden. The main gate (Porta da Vila, oriented south) is very fancy decorated with 18th century tiles and leads into the main street (Rua Direita, straight street, although is not completely “straight”).

This street leads to the main square (Praça de Santa Maria), with a beautiful fountain and a 15th century pelourinho. On this square is also the Town Museum, with exhibits ranging from archeological finds to 15-17th centuries sculpture and paintings. The Church Santa Maria is also in this square. Its interior is entirely faced with 17th century azulejos and contains a tomb of João de Noronha, the castle governor who died in 1575. Close by is another church ("Igreja da Misericordia"), with a fine Baroque doorway.

Rua Direita ends up in the upper part of the town in the 15th century royal castle that goes back in time to the days when the Court visited the town and has been converted into an very cosy inn (Pousada)

The streets are filled with small shops where visitors can buy traditional ceramics, wicker baskets, miniature windmills and hand-made embroidery and woollen articles. Moreover you should taste the Ginjinha (sweet liquor made from the sour cherry) in one of the several coffee shops in the small streets.

Buildings are decorated with ceramics. Many local artisans have a talent for making them, and you will see them at work, creating their colourful tiles, and the basket-style ceramic unique to Óbidos. The style symbolises the baskets used during grape harvest. Choosing what to buy is a difficult task.

Óbidos almost seems to be more a showpiece than a town, and its silent, starry nights and beautiful night falls can give the feeling of actually being there centuries ago.

Also worth seeing are the works of Josefa de Ayala aka Josefa de Óbidos (a 17th century artist that lived most of her life here), displayed in the Municipal Museum and specially in the church of Santa Maria where the retable (high alter of the church) portraying the Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine is to be appreciated (see museums). Visit also the pretty Capela de São Martinho (Chapel of S. Martinho).

Near Óbidos, the Amoreira Aqueduct and many chapels, churches and ancient manor houses can be seen, such as the Igreja do Senhor da Pedra (Church of the Stone’s Lord) the convent of São Miguel das Gaeiras and Quinta das Janelas, but visitors often prefer the marvellous nature sites around the Lagoa de Óbidos, a lagoon where almost all water sports can be practised, as well as fishing.

Among the events that take place every year in Óbidos, the most important are the Holy Week Festivities (recreating the steps on the Way of the Cross), the Ancient Music Festival in October and, for the more glutinous, the International Chocolate festival in the week before St Martins day, November 11th, which includes an international competition in which the recipes are judged by an international jury of experts.

---

308 B.C. - Foundation of the settlement by the Celts.
1st C. - The Romans took the settlement from the Celts and named it oppidum meaning "citadel", or "fortified city".
5th C. - Occupied by the Visigoths.
8th C. - The Moors arrived.
11-01-1148 - King Afonso Henriques took Óbidos from the Moors.
1195 - This was probably the date when Óbidos was granted its charter.
1210 - King Afonso II gave Obidos to his wife, Queen Urraca.
1246 - By remaining loyal to King Sancho II Óbidos was given the title of "Most Noble and Eternally Loyal" which it has kept to this day.
1282 - King Dinis and Queen Isabel spent their nuptials in Óbidos. Óbidos was given as a wedding present to the Queen and from then on became part of the dowry of all Portuguese Queens until 1834 (and known as the “wedding present town”).
1309 - Queen Isabel orders the construction of the Chapel of St. Vincent, later the Church of St. John, as well as the houses near to the chapel for the curing of the leprous.
1498 - Queen Leonor founded the Misericórdia (Almshouse) in Obidos.
1513 - King Manuel granted the town a new charter; the old Town Council was built (it now houses the Municipal Museum).
XVI century - D. João de Noronha, Earl of Dijon, erects the Palace which is nowadays the Pousada (inn).
1573 - Queen Catherine built the aqueduct, the public fountain in Praça de Sta Maria (St. Mary's Square) and the surrounding fountains.
1661 - Josefa d'Óbidos painted "The Mystical Wedding of St. Catherine" retable for the Igreja de Sta Maria (St. Mary Church).
01-11-1755 - Óbidos is really damaged by the earthquake.
1808 - The Battle of Roliça, where Napoleon had his first defeat in the Peninsular Wars, was waged on the outskirts of town.
1834 - The House of the Queens is abolished.
1910/1950 - Restoration of the battlement.
1970 - Inauguration of the Municipal Museum.
1973 - Preliminary meeting of the Armed Forces Movement held in the Obidense Musical Entertainment Society Saloon in Óbidos.
1993 - Commencement of the restoration of the Town Hall Buildings.
2001 - First International Óbidos Chocolate Festival
2006 - First Óbidos Christmas Village (Thematic park)