Linguistic and Translation Services in Guimarães

Guimarães is a city steeped in history which played a vital role in Portugal’s formation. It has been around for over a thousand years now, going by the name of Vimaranes in its early days. This place name may derive from Vímara Peres in the mid-9th century when he made this site his main centre of governance in the “Condado Portucalense” (County of Portugal) which he had conquered for the Kingdom of Galicia and where he was later to pass away. Guimarães is one of the most important historic cities in the country and its old town is regarded as Cultural Heritage of Humanity, making it one of the largest tourist centres in the region. Its roads and monuments breathe history and charm visitors.

Modern Guimarães has been able to reconcile in the best possible way its history and the attendant maintenance of its heritage with the dynamism and entrepreneurialism which characterise modern cities, borne out by its nomination as a European Capital of Culture in 2012 thanks to which Guimarães was elected by the New York Times as one of the 41 places to visit in 2011, regarding it as one of the up-and-coming cultural locations of the Iberian Peninsula.

Guimarães is very often called the "Cidade Berço" (the Cradle City) owing to the fact that the administrative centre of the Condado Portucalense was set up there by Henrique whose son King Afonso Henriques may have been born there and, essentially, owing to the historic importance that the Battle of São Mamede, fought on the outskirts of the city on June 24th 1128, had on the formation of nationality. The "Vimaranenses" (inhabitants of Guimaraes) are proudly called the "Conquerors" as a result of this historic heritage of conquest which started in Guimarães itself.