Vila-Adentro

Historic Quarter

Vila-Adentro is the innermost walled precinct of Faro's old town, the Cidade Velha, encompassing the cathedral square, the bishop's palace, the seminary and a cluster of noble townhouses arranged around the Largo da Se. The area occupies the highest ground within the walls, and its quiet, cobbled streets feel remarkably removed from the busy commercial centre just a few hundred metres away.

The cathedral, the Se de Faro, dominates the square. Its origins are thirteenth-century, built over a mosque, though successive earthquakes and rebuildings have left a composite of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements. The bell tower, which predates the main church, offers a panoramic view across the old town rooftops, the Ria Formosa and, on clear days, the barrier islands on the horizon. White storks nest on the tower, as they do on many of the taller structures within the walls.

The bishop's palace, the Paco Episcopal, faces the cathedral across the square. A grand eighteenth-century building with an ornate doorway, it is not open to the public but contributes to the architectural coherence of the square. The former convent next to the cathedral houses the Museu Municipal, whose collection includes Roman mosaics from Milreu, Moorish artefacts and paintings from the sixteenth century onwards.

Vila-Adentro's residential streets are almost entirely given over to housing, with very few commercial premises. Bougainvillea spills over garden walls, cats sun themselves on doorsteps, and the only sounds are birdsong and the occasional church bell. The contrast with the commercial streets immediately outside the walls is one of the most appealing aspects of visiting Faro's historic core.