Domus Municipalis
Information
Located in the heart of the beautiful Bragança town, Domus Municipalis is certainly its most symbolic monument.
A perfect example of the Romanesque architecture, this is an unique building in the Iberian Peninsula. The monument was built in a form of a irregular pentagon, constituted by two different bodies.
The designation “Domus Municipalis” was given probably during the 19th century, designating in Latin “municipal house” (town hall), nevertheless even nowadays its original purpose is still unkown, being used over the centuries for several functions.
The Domus Municipalis is composed by a ground floor and a upper floor, the lower one used as a vaulted cistern and the upper floor as a meeting room with regional administrative purposes.
The building was probably built in the beginning of the 15th century, probably at the time of the Bragança Castle’s reconstruction. The walls are built in granite, with an hexagonal plan, composed by five sides with different dimensions (the most extensive one with 14 meters and the smaller one with less than 3). The illumination is made by a continuous series of arched windows along all the sides of construction.
The first floor is occupied by a vast hall with a stone row of seats that runs all the walls, used as a seat for all the members of the municipal council.