Domus Municipalis of Bragança

The Domus Municipalis, officially inventoried as the former Municipal Hall of Bragança, is one of Portugal’s most distinctive medieval monuments. Standing inside the citadel, it has an unusual irregular pentagonal plan and a sequence of round arches. The building combines a large upper hall, traditionally associated with meetings of the municipal council, with a cistern below. The Council was established here in 1503 and the building continued to serve municipal functions during the early modern period. Its chronology has been discussed in relation to the transition from late Romanesque to Gothic architecture. It is classified as a National Monument.