Opened in 1725, the Square of Campo Novo (Praça do Campo Novo) is attributed to the Architect Manuel Pinto de Vilalobos, whom during the first quarter of the XVIII century performed a lot of constructions for the Braga’s Archbishop.
In quadrangular planimetry arranged in diamond, the square opens to four road axis, the streets of S. Gonçalo, S. André, of the Oliveiras (Olive Trees) and of Guadalupe. The square sides are filled by two story housing buildings, the first floor with door and window or two doors and the second with bay windows.
This model of civil architecture is due to the works of Vililobos, who presents an urban model “(…) which is characterized by the cleanliness of the main elevation, two floors and with the spans of the noble floor valued by triangular pediments (…)” (SOROMENHO, 1991, p. 190), very usual in the north of the country.
The square center holds a garden with a monument dedicated to the memory of D. Pedro V, built in 1879 in the Campo de Santana and transferred to Campo Novo in 1915. In the north top was built a granite fountain, surrounded by a staircase, and behind it was built, in the XIX century, the palace of the Count of Carcavelos, which substancially changed the square reading pace.
