Portugal’s City Named the Next Capital of Culture

Thursday, 03 March 2011 00:00

The ancient city of Guimarães in Portugal's northern Minho region will take center stage next year as Europe's Capital of Culture, along with the Slovenian city of Maribor. More than 41 million euros have been invested in the event's program, plus a further 70 million euros for local urban development. Celebrated as the cradle of the Portuguese nation, Guimarães played an important role in many of the events that led to the country's independence, as well as witnessing the birth of the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques I. As well, the distinctive outline of the 10th-century castle, the city's most important tourist attraction, appears on the Portuguese coat of arms.