Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. HOME News Royal Showbiz & TV Sport Comment Finance Travel Entertainment Life & Style UK Politics Royal US World Science Weather Weird History Nature Sunday InYourArea The Portuguese city of Faro is steeped in history but locals want Britain to return its prized possessions.
Faro, Portugal (Image: Getty)
The Portuguese coastal city of Faro is proving a smash-hit with holidaymakers from the UK and beyond.
Faro, which is the capital of the country’s Algarve region, can be flown to for as little as £24 and has average July temperatures of 29C.
Although technically a city, Faro is home to around 60,000 people, which is less than the town of Blackpool.
It’s the country’s southern-most city and therefore is regularly sun-soaked from early spring into autumn.
Brits have raved about the quaint city on Tripadvisor, pointing to the historic Old Town, sandy beaches and local cuisine on offer.
Historic facade of the district council municipal building in the old walled town area of Faro (Image: Getty)
One user, Tarty, from Prestatyn, described the city as “paradise”, meanwhile another described it as a “hidden gem”.
Another user took to the platform, speaking glowingly of the tucked away Mediterranean destination.
Describing the picturesque Old Town, he said: “Charming cobbled stone paved roads enclosed by the old city walls. In the middle there is the cathedral and from its tower you could get impressive views of Faro and the Marina.
“If the day is clear you could see the Deserta and Farol islands too on the horizon. It is worth exploring the gates into the old town too, all reminiscent of the Moorish past.”
Oxford Bodleian library still has the precious Faro books (Image: Getty)
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Not only is the city steeped in culture, it’s got strong links to Britain and one of the world’s most famous universities.
In 1597, the Earl of Essex plundered the city, stealing hundreds of priceless texts from the library in the Bishop’s Palace.
He and his men then razed much of the city to the ground. The texts he stole now sit in Oxford University’s Bodleian Library.
The University’s possession of the historic texts are still a point of contention between Portugal and Britain today.
In 2014, a group called FARO 1540, the Association for the Defence and Promotion of Environmental and Cultural Heritage of Faro, demanded Oxford returned the books.
As of yet, the University has not obliged.
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