Staying just across the Portuguese northern border, Tui is a city where I passed a couple of times, only seeing the border of the river, and shops lined in the road.
One day, I went to dance in Tui, and, using a break in the program I went out to see the city.
The time was short, but enough to have a general idea.
Main square
Generally, the central square in most European small towns concentrate the best that the city has to show.
That is not the case, where the centre is discrete with the highlights dispersed around it.
The cathedral, city hall and other are near, but the dominant image in the square is a band stand.
And many nice houses around it, we may concede!
San Francisco church
In the main avenue, close to the cathedral, there’s a church from the 18th century that exemplifies the typical style of Galicia.
Granite dominates, and the main door is interesting.
Ayuntamiento
Located by the cathedral the ayuntamiento (city hall) is a nice building with traditional look, but I couldn’t read anything about it.
Cathedral
Maybe the first Gothic temple built in all Iberia, this church comes from the 12th century, initially in Romanic style.
The heavy, crenelated walls, are complemented by delicate details in the later built, main door. It is, no doubt, the most beautiful monument in Tui.
Army’s square
One of the most interesting points in Tuy is this small square, in the historic centre, with granite dominating everything, from the surrounding facades to the pavement, with evidence to a cross and its protection.
Santo Domingo
The burial place of the local nobles, this Gothic church, has as the most distinguishable details two Baroque retables from the 18th century.
It was part on a convent, disappeared with few remains.
Glorieta
At the entrance of Trancoso gardens, in Paseo de la Corredera there’s a statue known as “Glorieta de Vigo” I don’t know why.
It was made by Juan Oliveira, the creator of a famous statue located in Plaza de España… Vigo.
That may be the reason, but the real name of the statue is Monument to the Wild Horse.
Garden
I don’t think that Tuy is what we may call “a beautiful city”, far from that, but it is better than what I felt in my first visit.
Descending from Glorieta to the river, there’s a small garden, nice to… breath, and… that’s all.
Granite
One of the most important details in the image of northern villages of Portugal and Spain is the dense use of Granite.
Tui is no exception, and in its historic centre granite is the main element to contribute to the city’s image and personality.
Facades and pavements provide a very harmonious combination.
Across border commerce
In my first visit to Tui it was so visible the commerce with Portuguese that I… skipped.
In my second visit, things had changed, the differences in prices didn’t invite so much the Portuguese (excluding fuel) and I could appreciate the real city.
