The Cathedral of Faro, also known as Sé or the Church of Santa Maria, is one of the most important historic buildings in Faro. It’s located in the historic city centre, in Largo da Sé. The architecture consists of a mixture of different styles: gothic (tower porch, main entrance, and some chapels), mannerist and baroque.
History has it that Faro Cathedral was erected on the remains of a mosque when it was built under King Alfonso, back in the Middle Ages, which was itself converted from a roman temple. The Cathedral was then redesigned once again in the fifteenth century. This wasn’t the last time it would be rebuilt. In 1596, the city and the cathedral were attacked and burned by the British troops of Robert Devereux, second Earl of Essex. After the attack, the cathedral was rebuilt in the Mannerist and Baroque styles. Still, the bell tower is one of the originals from the medieval castle. You can climb this tower to enjoy beautiful views over the city.
The magnificent organ inside Faro Cathedral was built in Lisbon around 1715 by German organ builder, Johann Heinrich Hulenkampf, a disciple of Schnitger. In 1751 it was painted in chinoiserie by artist, Francisco Correia da Silva. The building was further damaged by the earthquakes of 1722 and 1755, which inspired even more reconstruction. Thankfully, since the end of the eighteenth century, Faro Cathedral has had to undergo very few reparations.
