Oporto City Guide 🇵🇹 Portugal - Travel & Discover

The origins of Porto are linked to the Morro da Sé cathedral hill, overlooking the river Douro, where traces of an ancient settlement have been identified. The Sé, or Cathedral of a Porto, is a Romanesque structure dating from the 12th and 13th centuries that underwent great changes in the Mannerist and Baroque periods of the 17th and 18th centuries. The exterior of the Sé still calls to mind a temple fortress, crowned with its battlements. Facing the city on the north side is the Lodja, or Galilee, made in 1736 by Nicolau Nassoni. The staircase leading to this lodja was altered and only the central arch remains. The vaulted, five-sectioned portico has azulejos, which are glazed tiles lining the walls, which are the work of Alves da Sé. The intensive use of decorative tiles covering the outside of the buildings in Porto is something the visitor will undoubtedly notice. The interior of the church is in the form of a Latin cross with three staggered naves and five sections, with a salient transept and a rectangular chancel. One's attention is drawn to the Baroque chapel with its magnificent altarpiece and the altar of the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament, dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. Other Baroque chapels are dedicated to saints like St Peter. The back of the chapel has maintained the form of the primitive apsidal chapel on a pentagonal plan. This is the niche of Our Lady of the Assumption. One of the three red marble holy water fonts supported by a statue dates from the 17th century. The baptistry contains a bronze bas-relief by Antonio Teixeira López. The second city wall was started around 1336 and concluded in 1376. The old town area spills over from the cathedral and also from the main square in the city, south of the city hall. St Francis' Gothic church, with its three naves, is also known for its remarkable Baroque carvings. The south portal faces the river. The interior is a triumph of Baroque decorative richness. Altars, walls, vaulting and pillars disappear beneath a forest of 17th and 18th century carved and gilded wood. The tree of Jesse is carved in multicolored wood. In the early 18th century, the lateral aisles and apse chapels were extensively decorated with exuberant gilt woodwork by several Portuguese woodcarvers. This decorative richness is the most notable feature of the Franciscan church, covering almost completely the roofs of the aisles, pillars, window frames and chapels. The central nave is illuminated by the original rose window and the openings above the side aisles. The earlier Franciscan austerity has been completely superseded by the ostentatiousness of the 370 kilos of gold that cover the Baroque carved woodwork. The Franciscan order was established in Oporto around 1223. Initially, the order was antagonized by the secular and clergy of other religious institutions, particularly by the Bishop of Oporto. It took a papal bull to restore to the Franciscans the plot of land previously donated to them. They began building the convent and a first small church dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi around 1244. The construction of the Misericordia Church began in 1555 and the decorative tiles were assembled and laid by Domingos da Rocha in 1629-1630. The new Santo Ildefonso Church, whose architect is unknown, was built between 1730 and 1737. Contrary to the graceless façade, the chancel retable displays all the elegance of its new structure. The design of the engraving work was done by Nicolao Nassoni. The Santo Ildefonso Church has tile panels by the painter Jorge Colaco, depicting scenes from the life of the church's patron. The Terceros do Carmo Church was constructed in the second half of the 18th century according to a project by the architect José Figueiredo Oseixas. The ashlar masonry façade, crowned by an ample pediment that holds the figures of the four evangelists, shows the influence of the style created by Nicolao Nassoni. The lateral façade of this church was covered in 1912 with a painted tile panel with drawings by Silvestre Silvestri, showing figurative compositions alluding to the devotion of the Virgin Mary. This architectural set, the Clérigos Church and Tower, was built between 1732 and 1773. The tower that completes the building on its west side is one of Nicolao Nassoni's masterpieces and is considered one of the city's landmarks. The intensive use of decorative tiles covering the outside of the buildings in Porto was intensified by Brazilian immigrants during the 19th century and marks the golden period of tiles decorating façades. The city has carefully preserved its architectural treasures, including monuments of Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassical style, Arab, Renaissance and the Modernist style. The São Bento railway station was built in the early 20th century on the site of the former São Bento de Ave Maria convent, thus keeping its name. The vestibule is covered with 20,000 azulejos. It's one of the most remarkable artistic achievements as far as decorative tiles of the 20th century are concerned. The panels depict various moments of the railway and the history of transport. The majority of the town hall buildings lining the square are Neoclassical in design and the town hall was designed later in the 1920s to fit into this style. The city of Porto, since its foundation in the 8th century BC, has had important commercial links with the Mediterranean ports and during the Roman domination, an important road network between Lisbon and Braga was constructed. Situated on the right bank of the river Douro, very close to its mouth, the city of Porto has a historical centre that still preserves a strong identity, forged over many centuries, and clearly visible in its remarkable buildings and unique urban fabric. Enlivened by the great vitality of the local inhabitants.