Mountain air blows through the medieval streets of Guarda. It is Portugal’s highest city. Fernando, King of Portugal, spent some time here in the 14^th century, taking advantage of the mountain air while recovering from a lung disease.  The towers of the walled city are still mostly intact. Inside the city’s Gothic Cathedral, visitors will find an enormous stone altarpiece, created by the master mason Joao de Ruão. The city spreads out from the Cathedral, with 16^th century arcades surrounding a main square.  Near the battlements, a Jewish community once thrived. Here in the Jewish Quarter, the symbols of the Jewish faith still grace the walls of the stone houses.

Few nations can claim poets among their leaders, but in Portugal’s case, many of its kings were both poets and men of culture. In fact, the second king of Portugal, D. Sancho I (1154-1212), wrote the first known poem in the Portuguese language. Inspired by the poetry of Provence, and laying the foundations for the mournful sounds of Portugal’s traditional Fado music, King Sancho wrote the following poem to a friend he missed, back in the city of Guarda which Sancho founded.  The king wrote numerous poems and also sent Portugal’s young men to study in European universities, using the royal treasure. His dedication to literature and culture helped lead to an early Renaissance in Portugal.

Oh! Poor me, living in such a worry
For my friend, who is far off.
So long I must wait, for my friend in Guarda.
 
Oh! Poor me as I live
With a great desire
For my friend
Who is tardy, and whom I do not see
So long I must wait, for my friend in Guarda.