Jardim do Paço

The Jardim do Paço Episcopal was laid out from 1725 for the bishops of Guarda beside their Castelo Branco palace, and it is the most complete baroque garden in Portugal: clipped box parterres, water tanks, fountains, and above all stairways and balustrades lined with carved granite statues - apostles, virtues, zodiac signs, and two flights of Portuguese kings. The kings are the detail people repeat: the statues are carved at different sizes according to how the sculptors' patrons rated each reign, so the founding and expanding monarchs are large while the lesser ones are small, and the three Spanish Habsburg kings of the 1580-1640 union are noticeably reduced, being regarded as usurpers. Whether that was deliberate policy or later interpretation is argued, but the size differences are plain to see. The palace beside it holds the regional museum with the Castelo Branco embroidered bedspreads.

What you actually see

• The king statues - flights of monarchs carved at sizes reflecting their reputations.
• The parterres - clipped box, tanks and fountains in a complete baroque layout.
• The balustraded stairs - apostles, virtues and zodiac figures lining the flights.
• The palace museum - the regional collection with the local embroidered bedspreads.

When to go

March to June and September to November. One to two hours. Summer in Castelo Branco is extremely hot with little shade in the garden.

Honest expectations

Severe summer heat and limited shade. The garden is smaller than photographs suggest. The palace museum is a separate ticket with its own hours. Castelo Branco is otherwise a plain provincial city.

Nearby

The Cargaleiro museum is in the city; Monsanto and Idanha-a-Velha are north-east.