Hilltop Cathedral

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Lonely Planet review

From the Praça da Ribeira rise a tangle of medieval alleys and stairways that eventually reach the hulking fortress of a hilltop cathedral. Founded in the 12th century, the cathedral was largely rebuilt a century later and then extensively altered in the 18th century. However, you can still make out the church's Romanesque contours.

Inside a rose window and a 14th-century Gothic cloister remain from its early days. Don't miss the upper storey of the cloister (reached via a Nasoni-designed stairway), decorated with 18th-century azulejos by Vital Rifarto that lavishly illustrate scenes from the Song of Songs.