Casa Porta da Vila

Located in the historic center of Guimarães, declared a World Heritage Site in 2001, Casa da Cera da Porta da Vila is located at Rua Rainha D. Maria II, nº17, inside the wall and just 50 meters from the most emblematic places in the city. , such as the squares of Toural, Misericórdia and the squares of Oliveira and Santiago. The Porta da Vila was the most important entrance of the several doors of the wall that gave access to the interior of the village of Guimarães. It was the noble door through which kings, queens and other individuals entered the city, received with due honor. It was through the village gate that King D. João I entered, in 1385, on his pilgrimage to Nossa Senhora Oliveira, in gratitude for the victory achieved in the Battle of Aljubarrota.

The Porta da Vila and its tower were demolished at the end of the 18th century. The Casa da Cera da Porta da Vila, whose building occupied numbers 17, 19 and 21 of Rua da Rainha in Guimarães, accumulated during the 19th century. XIX until the third quarter of the century. XX, the functions of commercial store of diverse articles of domestic use and workshop of objects in wax. Candles and ex-votos were produced on the top floor of the building. This space was the only witness to an activity that was once part of the industrial landscape of Guimarães.
As a result of a careful and detailed recovery, this space was designed to meet today’s needs, ensuring a perfect harmony between history and the present.