Santarém is a Portuguese municipality with 64,124 inhabitants.It is the capital of the district of Santarém. The city of Santarém stands on a plateau, on the right bank of the Tagus river, 65km northeast from Lisbon.

Historical attractions

Santarém has a picturesque city centre with several monuments, including the largest and most varied ensemble of gothic churches in Portugal. These include fine examples of transitional romanesque-gothic, mendicant (plain style derived from the mendicant orders) and late (flamboyant) gothic. In addition, the city has nice examples of manueline, renaissance, mannerist and baroque architecture.

• Old Castle of Santarém (Largo das Portas do Sol): Located on a high slope over the Tagus river and the surrounding landscape, the site of the old castle of Santarém is now a nice garden that offers spectacular views. Part of the walls and towers of the castle are still preserved.
• Church of Saint John of Alporão (São João de Alporão): Built between the 12th and the 13th centuries by the Knights Hospitallers, this church is a fine example of transitional architecture, with a romanesque main portal and an early gothic main chapel and vaulting. The arches of the ambulatory of the main chapel show Arab (mudéjar) influences. The church now houses a small Archaeological Museum. Its most important piece is the flamboyant gothic tomb of Duarte de Meneses, missed in a battle in North Africa in 1465. His magnificent tomb is empty.
• Cabaças Tower (Torre das Cabaças): Ancient defensive tower of the mediaeval wall of the city. Houses the Time Museum with an exhibition about the measurement of time through the ages.
• Fountain of the Fig Tree (Fonte da Figueira): Rare example of a 14th century fountain in Portugal, decorated with merlons and coats-of-arms of Portugal and King Dinis I.
• Convent of Saint Claire (Santa Clara): 13th century feminine convent. Good example of Portuguese mendicant gothic style.
• Convent of Saint Francis (São Francisco): Another 13th century convent in medicant style. Has a nice gothic cloister. King Ferdinand I was buried here.
• Church of the Grace (Igreja da Graça): Built between the 14th and 15th centuries in a mix of mendicant and flamboyant gothic styles. Has a magnificent main portal and rose window that shows the influence of the Monastery of Batalha. The first governor of Ceuta Pedro de Meneses (died 1437) and his wife are buried here in a magnificent gothic tomb with their recumbent figures holding each other's hands. Pedro Alvares Cabral, discoverer of Brazil, and his wife are buried under a simple slab near the main chapel.
• Church of Marvila: This 16th century-chuch has nice portal and main chapel in manueline style. The nave and pulpit are in early renaissance style. The interior walls are covered with 17th century-multicoloured tiles with geometric patterns. It has one of the most outstanding tile-based interior decorations in Portugal.
• Cathedral of Santarém: Built in the 17th century in mannerist style as the Jesuit church of the city, it became the Seminary church after the Jesuits were expelled from Portugal in the mid-18th century.The interior decoration is very rich, with altarpieces from various periods and styles (mannerist and baroque) and a ceiling with an illusionist painting. Since the 1970's it is the Cathedral of Santarém. The site of the church and seminary was previously occupied by the mediaeval royal palace of Santarém.