4-Day Medieval Symbolism Tour in Portugal with Tomar and Guimarães

The journey

Trip highlights

• 01 Admire the beautiful monastery of the 'White Brothers' in Alcobaça
• 02 Study the secret language of symbols depicted on the monastery walls
• 03 Discover the secrets of St. Maria dos Olivais Church in Tomar
• 04 Search for signs and symbols in the North of Portugal
• 05 Travel to Guimarães to see the most beautifully preserved Medieval city in Portugal

Sign up for this tour to Portugal and witness incomparable monuments of Medieval art as you explore temples, castles, and historic cities shaped by layers of symbolism. Learn how signs, sigils, and symbols were placed on walls and within beautiful images, and discover why every detail in the Middle Ages had its own place, meaning, and essence. This journey offers a deeper understanding of the rules, canons, and prescribed rituals that shaped Medieval thought and artistic expression.

Learn how signs, sigils, and symbols were placed on walls and within beautiful images, and discover why every detail in the Middle Ages had its own place, meaning, and essence.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 4 Days

Tour type Private

Activity level Moderate

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Not applicable

Cities Coimbra, Lisbon, Porto, Tomar, Guimarães, Alcobaça

Languages English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

1

Day 01

Lisbon, Alcobaça, and Tomar

• Meet your tour guide and prepare to dive into the world of Medieval symbolism. The journey begins in Lisbon with a visit to the mighty Jerónimos Monastery.
• From there, continue to Alcobaça to see with your own eyes the beautiful monastery of the 'White Brothers', the first Gothic building in the Iberian Peninsula. For more than a year, our team worked on this site to study the secret language of symbols depicted on the walls of this beautiful monastery.
• After lunch in Alcobaça, travel to Tomar, a city that hosted the Grand Seat of the Order of Christ for centuries. On this day, you will have dinner in a real Medieval tavern and explore the city.

2

Day 02

Tomar and Coimbra Discoveries

• Visit all the most important places of Tomar on the second day, including sites that are not necessarily touristic. Investigate the Brothers' Secret Garden of 7 Hills, see the Church of St. John the Baptist, and discover the secrets of St. Maria dos Olivais Church, the biggest pantheon of the Grand Masters of the Order of Christ. Of course, you will also search for secret symbols in the Convento de Cristo.
• From Tomar, travel to Coimbra to visit Sé Cathedral and the Machado de Castro Museum, gaining a deeper understanding of what the symbols are trying to tell us.
• From Coimbra, there is a direct transfer to Porto.

3

Day 03

Porto and Guimarães Symbolism Trail

• Search for signs and symbols in the north of Portugal on the penultimate day of the tour. Visit St. Francis Church and its catacombs, roam the little streets of Porto's Jewish neighbourhoods, and dive into the secrets of Ribeira.
• Then travel to Guimarães to see the most beautifully preserved Medieval city in Portugal, full of symbols and signs on the walls.
• After discovering Guimarães, return to Porto for an evening walking tour around the city.

4

Day 04

Transfer to Lisbon or Your Preferred City

• On this day, you will have a direct transfer to Lisbon or to your preferred city of stay.

The route

Where you'll travel

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

• PhD historian guide
• Transfer throughout the journey

What's Not Included

• Museum tickets
• Accommodation

What to bring

• Curiosity

Know before you go

• On this tour, you will get answers to many questions. Why were the symbols of the Evangelists depicted in a specific sequence? Could the Virgin Mary be portrayed as barefoot? What did the colors mean, and how did the people of the Middle Ages see them? What does the science of "Sigils" study, and is it possible to comprehend the meaning of the mysterious signs on the monumental buildings of the Middle Ages? What was the significance of heraldry, and what codes were included in the heraldic images? After all, what was the world of the Middle Ages like, and is it possible for us, people of the 21st century, to see the world the same way our predecessors saw it?

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point

Lisbon, Portugal

Tour start

Lisbon, Portugal

Tour ends at the same location as the start point.