5 Must-See Historical Sites in Porto

Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city, is perhaps best known as the birthplace of port wine. With dozens of wine lodges, some of which have been around for centuries, wine is indeed plentiful here. But Porto is so much more than just wine. It’s a city rich in history and culture with charming old streets and beautiful tile-covered buildings. Porto is a city that oozes old-world charm with enough historical landmarks to keep you busy for weeks. To delve into the intriguing history of this great city, these five must-see sites are a great place to start.

Porto Cathedral

Standing atop the highest point of the city, Porto’s Sé Cathedral is one of its oldest buildings. The fortress-like church was originally built in the 12th century by Bishop Hugo, a French nobleman who became the first bishop of Porto and ruled the city from 1113 to 1136. It was renovated extensively in the 14th century and again in the 18th which has resulted in a unique blend of Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque architecture. The rose window, barrel-vaulted ceiling and flying buttresses – the first to be used anywhere in Portugal – are all holdovers from its early days.

In the 18th century, Porto’s architectural landscape was dramatically transformed through the work of Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni who designed and altered a number of prominent buildings in the city. Nasoni’s influence can be seen in the many Baroque flourishes that were added to the cathedral during that period, including an extravagant loggia (covered porch), silver altarpiece and frescos. The highlight of the cathedral for me was the 14th-century Gothic cloister. Blue and white azulejos (painted ceramic tiles) were added to the walls in the 18th century and the contrast between the whimsical tiles and the austere stone arches makes for a uniquely beautiful space.

The cathedral has witnessed much over its eight centuries. In 1387, it was the site of the lavish royal wedding of King João I and the English princess, Philippa of Lancaster. Their marriage cemented an alliance between England and Portugal which lives on to this day as the oldest military alliance in the world. Their famous son, Prince Henry the Navigator, one of Portugal’s great explorers, was also baptized here.

São Bento Train Station

This central transportation hub in the heart of Porto is one of the world’s most beautiful train stations. Built in the early 20th century in a French Beaux Arts style, the walls of its main hall are decorated with over 20,000 azulejos. Built by architect José Marques da Silva, the very first stone was laid by King Carlos I himself. 

The tile panels were designed by artist Jorge Colaço and installed in the station several years after it was built. The project began in 1903 and took eleven years to complete. The tiles tell the story of Portugal. Significant moments of its history, including key battles and historical figures, are depicted here in astonishingly detailed scenes. Above the large blue and white panels, a frieze made up of multi-coloured azulejos chronicles the history of transportation in Portugal, culminating with the arrival of the train.

São Bento was named for the Benedictine convent that previously stood on this spot. Built in the 16th century, the convent was destroyed by fire in 1783 and rebuilt. In 1834, when religious orders in Portugal were dissolved, there were fifty-five nuns still living at São Bento de Avé-Maria. Though no new sisters were permitted to take vows, the state allowed the nuns to live out their remaining years at the convent. When the last of them finally died in 1892, the state took possession of the property and had it demolished to make way for the expanding railway system and the new station.

Palácio da Bolsa

Built on the site of a different ruined convent – São Francisco – the Bolsa Palace is a monument to Porto’s long history as a centre of trade and industry. This palace was built not for royalty but for commerce. It was the headquarters of the Commercial Association of Porto and home of the Porto Stock Exchange. Construction on the neoclassical building began in 1842 and was not fully completed until sixty years later.

The palace is no longer used for its original purpose and today serves mainly as a cultural and conference centre but many of its historical features have been carefully preserved. Guided tours offer visitors a chance to delve into the history of the site, starting with the central courtyard known as the Hall of Nations. This grand hall with glass-domed ceiling and ceramic mosaic floors inspired by those discovered in Pompeii served as the trading floor of the Porto Stock Exchange until the 1990s. Adorning the upper walls just below the glass dome are twenty coats of arms representing the countries with which Portugal had trade relations in the 19th century.

An elegant granite staircase takes visitors to the upper floors where a number of beautifully decorated period rooms – reception rooms, offices, a courtroom, meeting halls – offer a glimpse inside the world of 19th-century commerce. Among these is a small office that once belonged to Gustave Eiffel, the famous engineer behind the Eiffel tower, who spent some time working in Porto in the late 19th century. The tour concludes in the most striking room in the palace – the Arab Room. Lavishly decorated in a Moorish Revival style with gold embellished patterns covering every inch of the walls, columns, and ceiling, it definitely has that wow factor.

Igreja de São Francisco

In a city filled with beautiful churches, São Francisco is in a class of its own. From the outside, it looks quite ordinary but step inside and you can’t help but marvel at the ostentatious, gold-smothered interior that greets you. An estimated 100 kilograms of gold leaf adorn the altar, columns, and ceiling in a grandiose display quite unlike any I’ve ever seen.

The church was originally part of the Monastery of São Francisco, built in the 13th century by the Franciscan Order. Much of the monastery was destroyed by fire during the 1832 Portuguese Civil War. The ruins of the monastery were given to the city’s Commercial Association and eventually became the site of the Bolsa Palace. The church, however, survived undamaged. The 13th-century gothic church received a makeover in the early 18th century when the interior was completely redone in a Baroque style that saw the walls, altar, side chapels, pillars, and ceiling all covered with ornate gilded woodwork.

The church also includes a museum of sacred art which showcases some artifacts from the former monastery. Both the museum and the catacombs beneath the church are included with your entrance ticket. The eerie catacombs house the tombs of Franciscan friars along with some of Porto’s wealthiest citizens who paid for the honour of being buried here. The final resting place of some of Porto’s less fortunate citizens can also be seen here; a glass window in the floor allows visitors to view the macabre ossuary filled with piles of human bones that lies beneath their feet.

Cais da Ribeira

This charming riverside promenade forms part of the Ribeira district, one of Porto’s oldest neighbourhoods. This area, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, has been the commercial centre of Porto since the Roman period when a shipping port was first set up here. Over the centuries it grew into a busy hub receiving shipments from all over the world. The lively riverside quay features colourful buildings and shops and restaurants built right into the old city walls. Just beyond the riverside, a warren of narrow streets and alleyways dating back to the Middle Ages form the historic heart of the city.

From the Ribeira, you have a lovely view of the port wine lodges on the opposite bank of the Douro. The iconic Dom Luís I bridge that connects the two sides of the river looms nearby. The double-decker iron bridge, designed by a student of Gustave Eiffel, features a metro line along the top and a road for cars on the bottom. Pedestrians can walk along either level but the city views from the top level are unmatched.

A few meters from the bridge, an easily overlooked bronze plaque pays tribute to the tragedy of the “Bridge of Boats” which occurred here on March 29, 1809. At that time a much less grand bridge made up of 20 boats linked by steel cables stood here. On that day, as Napoleon’s troops laid siege to Porto, panicked citizens fled to the river. As they ran across the makeshift bridge, it collapsed under their weight and thousands fell to their deaths. People of Porto still honour those who died that day by placing candles and flowers at this small but poignant memorial.

Further Reading

• Bolsa Palace: https://palaciodabolsa.com/
• UNESCO: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/755/
• Porto Cathedral: https://www.diocese-porto.pt/pt/catedral-do-porto/
• Porto Travel Guide: https://www.introducingporto.com/