Description of the attraction
Domus Municipalis is located in the northeastern part of the municipality of Braganca. The building was built in Romanesque style and is the only surviving example of Romanesque civil architecture in Portugal. There are two outstanding historical monuments in Bragança, Domus Municipalis is one of them.
Domus Municipalis, the oldest city hall in Portugal, is located near the Church of Santa Maria. The building has an unusual shape and is a continuation of the prison tower, which is located nearby and, most likely, was built in the first half of the 13th century. Domus Municipalis stands on a foundation in the form of a non-standard pentagon. This form of the building is considered the only one in Europe. In 1503, the Domus hall was divided into two parts, and the building began to be used as a municipal council, although even before that time, according to documentary sources, similar meetings were held in the building.
The first part of Domus (below) became a primitive reservoir where spring water was stored. Above the reservoir, the so-called second part of Domus, served as a hall where members of the city council gathered and held civil court sessions in relation to disputes between merchants and landowners.
The building got its name - Domus Municipalis - in the 19th century. Despite the fact that in 1910 the Portuguese Institute of Architectural Heritage listed Domus Municipalis in the list of monuments of national importance, by 1912 the building was practically destroyed, stood without a roof and was used by homeless people for the night. The first restoration of the building was completed in 1936, and a second one was carried out in 1959.
