Inaugurated on 14 July 2024, the Interpretative Centre of the Church of Veade delves into the main historical, architectural, and symbolic aspects of the Church of Saint Mary of Veade in Celorico de Basto.

Using explanatory texts, graphic schemes, and a documentary, the museographic narrative of this Centre allows visitors to learn about the chronology of the Church of Veade in a simple and direct manner, from its origins to the present day, now integrated into the tourist and cultural project of the Route of the Romanesque.

Located in a building next to the church, this Interpretative Centre also features 13 Romanesque fragments with their iconic iconography, which belonged to the main portal and triumphal arch of the original Church of Veade, rebuilt in 1732.

The origins of the Church of Saint Mary of Veade date back to a hermitage, or small monastery, linked to the lineage of the Guedeões, the "lieutenants" or "rich men" of Basto, in the 12th century. Proof of this can be seen in the inscription on the north façade of the church, dedicated to Dórdia Gomes, a "rich lady" who was famously pious and who may have been behind this religious institution.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Church of Veade underwent significant interventions initiated by its commissioners, influential members of the Order of Malta.

From the Romanesque construction, apart from the aforementioned fragments, the north and south side portals of the church remain, featuring ornamentation that links it to the medieval temples of the Tâmega and Douro basins.

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