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• Oporto's Monuments

  2011-05-24

  

  Oporto is the second largest city in Portugal and has a great legacy of rich cultural and artistic heritage. As you walk through the city, you will find a wide-range of monuments that represent the evolution of the modern yet very traditional city whose cultural calendar and lifestyle will surprise you. Here are a few examples of the most popular and important monuments of this city:

  
  Sé Cathedral

  

  This 12th century Romanesque church, which was 600 years later rebuilt with a Gothic style, is one of the major churches in northern Portugal, whose structure is nothing but majestic and magnanimous, making it so appealing for many tourists.

   

  Clerigos Tower and Church

  

  When it was completed, in 1763, this church tower was the tallest structure in Portugal. It is one of Oporto’s most characteristic symbols along with the church, whose construction was finished around 1750 making it one of the first baroque churches in Portugal to have a typical baroque elliptic floor plan.

  
  Carmo Church

  

  This church, built in the 18th century is a splendid example of late baroque architecture with a single nave made up of elegant gilt carvings in seven altars. Outside, there is a sidewall that is totally covered by tile panels in white and blue.

  
  Palácio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace)

  

  The building was built in a neo-classical style in the second half of the XIXth century and is one of the most visited attractions of the city. The highlight of the Palace is the Arab Room which is decorated in the exotic Moorish Revival style.

  
  Cedofeita Church

  

  This church, built between the 12th and 13th century in Romanesque style, was renovated in the 20th century and the baroque additions were removed, giving it a much more mediaeval appearance.

   

  São Bento Station

  

  Built in the place of an ancient convent, the building was finished in 1916. There are many tile panels in the interior made up by Jorge Colaço that represent historic episodes, giving it a rare and raw artistic beauty.

  
  Lapa Church

  

  In 1755, Pope Benedict XIV established the Brotherhood of Nossa Senhora da Lapa and, the following year, the church construction started ending only in 1779. The style is a mixture of Rococo and neo-classical reflecting the long period of construction.

   

  Church of Saint Ildefonso

  

  The construction of this chuch started in 1709 and ended thirty years later, in 18th July 1939. The granite construction has the shape of an elongated octagon in its main body with plaster ceilings.

  
  Church of Saint Francis

  

  Being the most outstanding Gothic monument of the city thanks to its architecture and decoration, since it was built from 1383 to 1410 being the baroque decoration attributed to the 17th and 18th centuries.

  
  Ribeira

  

  The district of Ribeira is remarkably characterised by the medieval streets and seedy alleyways. The traditional boats floating and the colourful ancient houses make it the most charming spot in the city, which is also the best place to have a drink, and it has great nightlife as well.

  Published by Hostel in 2011-05-24
  

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