The Historic Centre of Guimarães bears testimony to a significant period in the history of Portugal. From its plain one-storey houses known as “terreiras”- to two-storey houses and the imposing Ducal Palace, the city boasts an architectural compound of a unique heritage value dating from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.
New housing typologies emerged in this urban settlement in the 16th century such as the formal and decorative singularity of facades, the quality of stone blocks and the ostentation of coats of arms. The 17th century saw a growing diversity of building typologies, a standardisation in the volume and height of buildings, the suppression of cornices and direct positioning of roofs on facades, creating typical recessed elevations. As it was exceptionally preserved, through a continuous urban management policy, the Historic centre of Guimarães was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001.