Sé de Faro

Faro’s cathedral, rebuilt after the earthquake above the old town, with its tower and cloister.

In the heart of Faro’s old town, the Sé rises above the white houses with its bell tower and its double transept. Built over the ruins of the Moorish city and rebuilt after the great earthquake, it is the mother church of the Algarve, a calm place of dark stone and gilded altars.

History and character

The cathedral was built from the thirteenth century, after the Christian conquest of Faro, on the site of the old mosque, and its history follows the city’s — rebuilt and altered through the centuries, and again after the earthquake of 1755, which left only parts of the medieval building standing. Its tower and its Gothic chapels recall those earlier lives.

What to see

The interior, with its gilded altars and tiled decoration.
The cloister and the remains of the earlier cathedral.
The bell tower, with views over the old town and the lagoon.
The sacred art of the cathedral, in its small treasury.

Visiting

The cathedral is in the old town of Faro, reached on foot from the marina and the city centre. It remains an active place of worship: visits are welcome outside the hours of Mass, and access may be limited during celebrations.