Faro's cathedral is a fine example of both change and continuity, standing on the site of the main mosque of the Moorish city, which itself replaced the remains of a Visigothic church built on the ruins of the Roman basilica.
The 1755 earthquake demolished much of the original 13th century cathedral, leaving only the truncated stump of the tower. The interior can be very cool on a hot summer day.
The Gothic chapel on the south side, with its rib vaults, survives from the 15th century, and the rest is typically 18th century, with gorgeous gilded woodwork and blue azulejos [tiles].
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