There you will find the Tourist Information Office, the result of the rehabilitation and adaptation of the old stables of the Casa do Arco and where you can gather all the necessary information to discover Guimarães.

This is a very old square, mentioned over time in various documents. It also preserves the medieval design, with restored facades, which respect traditional building materials, decorated with colorful flower boxes and sunshades. The traditional architecture of the facades of the houses from the 17th and 18th centuries is the most fascinating element, a trace of the urban rehabilitation works carried out over the years by the Guimarães City Council.

According to tradition, an image of the Virgin Saint Mary was brought to Guimarães by the apostle Santiago, and placed in a pagan temple in a square that was renamed Praça de S. Tiago.

The Franks settled nearby, arriving in Portugal in the company of Count D. Henrique, father of D. Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal. On the floor of the Square you can read the Latin phrase “Ad vos homines qui venistis populare in Vimaranes et ad illos qui ibi habitare volerint”, a phrase taken from the Carta Foral del Conde D. Henrique (1096), which means: “To you, men who came to populate Guimarães and to those who want to live here”.

Further down, the place where there was a chapel dedicated to the apostle Santiago, which was part of the route of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela and was demolished in the 19th century, is also marked.

At one end of the Square we find a beautiful palace with a railing, known as Casa de Santiago, which dates back to the 18th century and was recently rehabilitated by the City Council.

Praça de S. Tiago is a must-see place, where you can have lunch or dinner or simply take a break during your visit to the Historic Centre, on one of the many terraces, taking the opportunity to admire the houses.

On sunny days, from the end of the afternoon, the terraces of Praça de S. Tiago become a lively meeting place for locals and visitors.