The “Sé”, Cathedral of Silves

It is considered one of the most remarkable temples of Gothic architecture in the Algarve.
It was probably erected in the late thirteenth century after the conquest of the city in 1248 or 1249 by D. Paio Peres Correia.
The Cathedral of Silves presents us with a gothic style distorted by the successive reconstructions and restorations that it was submited to.
Built in red sandstone (Silves sandstone), the Cathedral has a ‘latin cross’ plan shape formed by the apse and a transept.
With a height of about 18m, the central nave is higher than the two side ones.
In the inner atrium one can observe several sarcophagi, including the tomb of John II who was buried here in 1495. Actually, his remains were transferred to the Monastery of Batalha four years later.