Visit Oporto

Linked to the memory of the Infante and the Discoveries, the old neighbourhoods located inside the 14th century medieval wall, despite later modifications, present a medieval urban morphology in the tangle of streets and are home to the main monuments and spaces that marked the city’s physiognomy in the 14th and 15th centuries and were the scene of important events of the time.

The hill of the Cathedral stands out for the antiquity of the complex and the monumentality of the great cathedral, where we can admire the architectural design of the 12th century, visible inside and on the façade (later renovated in the 18th century) and in the Gothic centre of the cloister with an elegant triple arcade and the chapel of St John the Baptist, which houses the tomb of the knight of Malta, João Gordo. In the old churchyard, now the Cathedral grounds, we can see the Episcopal Palace, a large architectural complex built in 1737 on the site of the original 13th century residence, the tower of D. Pedro Pitões (also known as the City Tower), a square Gothic building with two floors and ogival openings on the façade, and the ruins of the old Town Hall, which has recently been consolidated and still has a medieval appearance.

Some traces of the primitive wall, which correspond to the defensive system built during the High Middle Ages and reinforced in the 12th century, can be seen in the built elements and in the layout of the streets, particularly in Calçada de Vandoma and along Rua de D. Hugo.

The ambience of the whole complex that rises along the hill in the area surrounding the cathedral is popular in nature, with traditional markets and constant occupation of the streets, which are seen as a collective space for social interaction. Escadas das Verdades is the link to the riverside area.

In Ribeira and Barredo, part of the parish of S. Nicolau, we are in the heart of the river area. The riverfront is made up of narrow façades, with arcades on the ground floor, still retaining many medieval elements and a physiognomy characteristic of the harbour centres of the Age of Discovery.

Barredo’s narrow alleys create a labyrinthine fabric, with some of the oldest examples standing out, such as the Rua de Baixo Tower, which originally dates from the 13th century and still has medieval features.

Praça da Ribeira and Largo do Terreiro are now open spaces on the Ribeira and Estiva quays, where cod warehouses used to stand and where the old Carvão Wicket, which opened onto the 14th century wall, has been preserved.

In Rua da Reboleira, many typical late medieval and sixteenth-century buildings survive, especially the street fronts, where façades 55 and 59 are located.
The toponymy of the streets tells us about their ancient history and in Rua da Alfândega, Casa do Infante or Alfândega Velha is well worth a visit. Currently being investigated through documents and archaeology, it is a quadrangular structure corresponding to the old courtyard connecting two towers, built between 1325 and 1354 and destined by King Afonso IV to be the seat of the Oporto Almoxarifado.

According to tradition, Infante D. Henrique was born here, at a time when this whole part of the city was occupied by public buildings linked to the Court and mercantile activity. Rua Nova, which today is called Rua Infante D. Henrique in memory of the navigator prince, was opened on the initiative of King João I. Surrounding Praça do Infante, the Church of St Francis reminds us of the city’s links to the Avis dynasty.

A remarkable example of mendicant Gothic architecture, it was part of the large Franciscan convent where Queen Filipa de Lencastre, mother of King Henrique, sometimes stayed. Evidence of the Manueline and Renaissance periods is still significant in this temple.

In the Massarelos area, there is still a medieval pavement and the Brotherhood of Souls, founded in the year of the Infante’s birth (1394), next to the small chapel of the Holy Body, by seafarers, shipyard workers and boat builders.

Within the perimeter of the medieval city, corresponding to the main centres of settlement at the time, there are other areas, especially Cedofeita with its austere Romanesque church and the Tower of Pedro Sem, built by King Afonso IV and now part of the Terenas Palace or Mitra. Scattered around are some vestiges of the medieval enclosure and its gates, namely the well-known Oporto da Cidade, a quadrangular construction with two floors, which can be seen on Rua de S. Sebastião and the section around the convent of Santa Clara. The convent’s church has a beautiful Manueline portal.

Of the city’s Jewish quarters, which were large, wealthy and involved in the projects of the city and the kingdom, we are left with the streets of S. Bento and Escadinhas da Esnoga, which were part of the Olival Jewish quarter, located next to the gate in the wall with the same name.

In the second half of the 16th century and the beginning of the following period, Oporto saw its built heritage enriched with new buildings inspired by the new trend emerging from the Council of Trent and following Mannerist lines. Examples of this affiliation are the Casa do Cabido and the churches – dos Grilos, de S. João Novo, S. Bento da Vitória and dos Carmelitas. It was at this time that notable Baroque carvings began to decorate the interiors of the city’s churches, and their development continued for around 150 years. The first examples are the aforementioned convents of St Francis and St Clare, as well as the Church of St Peter of Miragaia.

The 17th and 18th centuries saw the spread of residential palaces, reflecting the opulence of Oporto’s high nobility and bourgeoisie. These include: the palatial houses in Rua das Flores – of the Cunha Pimenteis, the Constantinos, the Sousa e Silva and Manuel Figueiroa Pinto (or Companhia Velha); the palace in Rua de Belmonte (next to the previous one) – of the Pacheco Pereira; or the Árvore Cooperative building (Albuquerques house) on Passeio das Virtudes.

Major public works during this period include: the reconstruction and enhancement of the Customs House in 1667; the creation of a circulation system linking Rua da Alfândega Velha to Rua Nova and the Fonte Taurina; and the reconstruction of the Prison and Court of Appeal in 1765 to a design by Eugénio dos Santos.

The eighteenth-century period is extremely rich from an artistic point of view, with renowned masters entering Portugal, including Nicolau Nasoni. The Clérigos Church and Tower is an exponent of this master’s architecture and an authentic business card for the city.

Oporto’s Baroque style, which emphasised the contrasts of light and dark on the façades of churches and palaces and exuberantly decorated the interiors of temples, made a particular mark on the city and lasted beyond the introduction of neoclassical forms, as in the case of the

Carmo church. Other important works in the classified historic area that are stylistically Baroque are those carried out in the Cathedral, the churches of Santo Ildefonso, Misericórdia, Recolhimento do Ferro, Nossa Senhora da Vitória, São Nicolau, Terço and dos Carmelitas.

In the third quarter of the 18th century, with the Almadas, there was a new model of urban expansion, of the radial type. A long artery was opened – Rua do Almada – and other new axis – Rua da Cedofeita and Rua de Santa Catarina – which articulated with other secondary streets. At this point, large arches were opened in the walls bordering the quay.

The English influence that had been felt since the mid-17th century was reinforced by the Methwen Treaty and the production and commercialisation of Oporto wine. This wine owes its fame to a fortunate coincidence: two Englishmen added brandy to preserve it and transformed it into a precious nectar that would soon become world famous. The characteristics of this excellent wine are also naturally due to the geomorphological conditions of its region of origin – the schist slopes of the Alto Douro. After its first stage of manufacture, the wine is placed in oak casks and, until relatively recently, was transported in the typical rabelo boats that travelled down the Douro to the storage cellars in Gaia, opposite Oporto, where it is aged and acquires its final characteristics.

Testimony to the strong English influence in the city is the existence of private clubs with grand traditions and elegant gardens. Other examples, introduced by the British, are the common neo-Palladian buildings, or the Ribeira arches, opened to support the unloading of goods and modelled on London quays.

Neoclassical architecture has notable examples in the Historic Centre of Oporto, namely: the Santo António Hospital, the English Trading Company, the Relação Prison, the Civil Government, the Faculty of Sciences, the Trindade Church and the Terceiros de S. Francisco Church.