The Romans called it Ossónoba and it was an important site on the extreme Southeast of the Peninsula. Under the Moors it was a large port and the link to the interior. In the Middle Ages it became a large port, exporting salt, olive oil and wine and importing wheat.
The walls were rebuilt during the reign of King Afonso III. The urban area was comprised of different localities: the Vila-A-Dentro (parish of Santa Maria) - with the forum, the churches and the Jewish quarter; the Jewish quarter was the most important one in Portugal until the reign of King Manuel I, there were also houses of Christians; the other locale, Ribeira, where the upper classes had their houses; and the Mouraria (Moorish quarter) located in Baixa (downtown).
The Arco da Vila (old north entrance) is the most famous monument in Faro. The Cathedral and the Church of Carmo are notable buildings. The town grew outside the walls in the 14th and 15th centuries, up to Ribeira where there are a few chapels.
The Christians captured Faro in the 13th century. At the end of the 15th century it became part of the Queen's Household, conceded by King João II to his wife, Leonor. It was elevated to a city and See in 1540 but it did not take effect until 1577. Faro is sometimes knows as a "white spot" in the landscape. Unfortunately many buildings are in a bad state of repair.
However, the Formosa river, the sandy islands, the marshes and the São Brás mountains blend with the many monuments in the town to form a blue and green harmonious landscape.
