MUSEU DE PENICHE
- Campo da República.
- Tel: 262 780 116.
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Tue–Sun.
-
25 Dec.
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PENICHE
-
28,000.
-
-
Rua Alexandre
Herculano (Tel: 262 789 571 ). -
Last Thu of the month
(except Jul & Dec).
Set on a peninsula, this small, pleasant town is partly enclosed by 16th-century
walls. Totally dependent on its port, Peniche has good fish restaurants and
deep-sea fishing facilities. At the water’s edge on the south side of town
stands the 16th-century Fortaleza , used as a prison during the
Salazar regime. The fortress was made famous by the escape in 1960 of the
communist leader, Álvaro Cunhal. Inside, the Museu de Peniche
caters to popular interest with a tour that includes a look into the prison
cells. In Largo 5 de Outubro, the Igreja da Misericórdia has
17th-century painted ceiling panels depicting the Life of
Christ , and patterned azulejo panels from the same
period.
ENVIRONS
On the peninsula’s western headland, 2 km (1 mile) from Peniche, Cabo Carvoeiro affords grand views of the ocean and the
strange-shaped rocks along the eroded coastline. Here, the interior of the
chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios is faced with
18th-century tiles on the Life of the Virgin attributed to the workshop of
António de Oliveira Bernardee.
Along the coast, 2 km (1 mile) east of Peniche, Baleal is a
small community with gorgeous beaches and an idyllic fishing cove across a
causeway.
