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Praça Carlos Alberto
19 November, 2024 / , ,

This square dates back to distant times and is the result of a junction of the old roads that, leaving together from the Olival Gate of the Fernandina Walls, next to the Cadeia da Relação, led to Braga (via the current Rua de Cedofeita) and Guimarães (via the current Rua das Oliveiras).

The earliest known document dates back to 1638, and at that time it was called ‘Largo dos Ferradores’ (Farriers’ Square), because this was where the mounts were prepared for the journey. It was also a place for inns.

In Largo dos Ferradores, in the eighteenth-century mansion of the Viscounts of Balsemão (where the Porto City Council’s Municipal Directorate for Culture is now located), the Hospedaria do Peixe was located in the mid-nineteenth century.

The square was also popularly known as Feira das Caixas (Box Fair), because the boxes for the luggage that the emigrants took to Brazil were made in one of the carpenters’ tents around here.

In February 1791, the Third Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was inaugurated in this square, with the Carmel Hospital building.

From July 1853 until February 1910, Praça de Carlos Alberto, to be precise, in front of Tabacaria Havaneza, was the terminal stop for the Empreza Portuense de Carros Ripert vehicle, a heavy wooden and iron horse-drawn cart that made the daily connection to São Mamede de Infesta.

On 12 August 1874, the first American car from Oporto, a direct ancestor of the tram, also departed from this square on the route to Cadouços, in Foz do Douro.

For many years, this was the place where the fair for farm labourers and maids was held. It came here from Praça da Corujeira, and from here it was transferred to the Rotunda da Boavista in 1876. The young men and women came from the suburbs and agreed their working conditions here with their future employers.

In the 20th century, on 9 April 1928, the Monument to the Dead of the Great War, designed by Henrique Moreira, was inaugurated in Carlos Alberto Square

The name of this square and the theatre in Rua das Oliveiras pays homage to King Charles Albert of Sardinia, who was stripped of his throne in 1849 after the defeat at the Battle of Novara on 23 March of that year.

He was exiled to Porto for three months before his death.

He lived in the Palacete dos Viscondes de Balsemão in the same square, and died at Quinta da Macieirinha, where the current Romantic Museum is located.

D. Maria Pia Bridge
4 October, 2021 / , , ,

It was designed by engineer Theophile Seyrig and inaugurated in October 1877.

It had 150 workers from Eiffel Constructions Métalliques, and used 1,600,000 kg of iron.

It was the first construction to take into account the effects of the region’s winds, and despite the complexity of the bridge it did not take even 2 years to build.

The dimensions of the width of the river and the surrounding escarpments, required the construction of the largest iron arch in the world, with a span of 160m, and a deck of 352m, 61m away from the average water level of the river. It was a construction at the limit of the possibilities of metallic construction. At the time, this bridge was an engineering feat that dazzled the Portuguese and foreigners alike.

It marked the arrival of the railway to the city of Porto, and the connection between Porto and the south at the railway level was its function. It made it possible to complete the railway connection between Porto and Lisbon which, at the time, ended at Devesas station in Vila Nova de Gaia. It had a profound impact on the economy of the region, as the city of Porto became the hub of a set of important railway lines and allowed the reordering of the urban fabric according to the location of the stations.

The inauguration party on 4 November 1877 was a great success, presided over by King Luís I and Queen Maria Pia, after whom it was named.

The crowds came to watch the memorable spectacle, filling the surroundings of the “work of art”, waving handkerchiefs as the first train crossed the bridge, with 24 carriages and around 1200 people on board.
The safety of the bridge has been amply proven with the passage of trains for over 100 years.
It is classified as a national monument and is the only Portuguese monument on the American Society of Engineering’s list of great engineering works.

With the appearance of the new São João Bridge, the D Maria Pia bridge was decommissioned on 1 June 1991, and since that day it has been patiently awaiting the future, with the restoration of this work of art a priority.

Porto is the city of the Camellias
23 March, 2021 / ,

Porto is a vast garden of Camellias planted along the Douro.

These flowers give life and joy to the city of Porto, during sad and grey winter days.

Even in Porto’s cemeteries there are Camellias.

As a way to celebrate this flower, every year Porto is invaded by the Camellia Week in the 2nd week of March, which unfortunately cannot happen this year.

Organized for the first time in 1984, in the Ferreira Borges Market, this exhibition has travelled to various places in the city, such as the Municipal Library, the Monastery of São Bento da Vitória, Serralves, or the Palácio da Bolsa

Year after year, this event arouses the curiosity and enthusiasm of many camellia admirers, collectors and producers, and invites the public to get to know and appreciate the different species of this winter flower, which today abounds and spreads colours throughout the city’s gardens.

The main growers who, over the years, have perfected the cultivation of this flower, multiplying it in the most varied species, have sprinkled the gardens of the city of Porto with colour and shapes.

Camellias are a natural and cultural heritage of Porto.

Porto is a river among camellias.

So, here are some Places to find Camellias:

– Jardim Botânico
– Palácio de Cristal – Gardens and Library
– Museu Romântico
– Casa Tait
– Jardim S Lazaro
– Rotunda da Boavista
– Antiga Igreja de Cedofeita
– Jardim do Marquês
– Parque da Cidade
– Cemitérios de Agramonte e Prado do Repouso

The Women’s Garden
20 January, 2021 / ,

Inaugurated in 1834, Jardim Marques de Oliveira, is a romantic concept, with the shadow of its great magnolias, its imposing lilies, the colour of its camellias and the sounds of the central lake.

Jardim de São Lázaro is the oldest municipal garden in Porto.

Its name comes from the old medieval leprosarium, which was installed there at the beginning of the 16th century and was demolished in the 18th century.

This fresh garden is a pleasant surprise for those who pass by, because it is very well cared for and leafy.

It was designed by João José Gomes, the first municipal gardener of Porto, and still presents its original design today.
The fountain, the bandstand, and the sculptures scattered around the garden, by several nationally renowned artists such as Soares dos Reis, stand out.

During the Portuguese Civil War, Porto was surrounded by a siege between July 1832 and August 1833. It was a very heavy siege for the people of Porto: to the attacks of the D. Miguel troops were added silent enemies such as cholera, typhus, hunger and cold, which transformed the beautiful trees of the “Invicta” into firewood for the population.

On 27 January 1833, King Pedro IV ordered the construction of the Garden of São Lazaro, dedicated to the women of this city, to somehow compensate them for the hard trials faced during the Siege. It was intended to be a place for the ladies of Porto

Although modest in size and sparse in sight, it quickly became popular with the fine society – a must-see place for the families of Porto.

For 30 years, this miniature Public Walk, was the centre of the city’s fancy and fashion.

With no view of the Douro valley, no wide and airy walks, it nevertheless contains a soft perfume, which contrasts with the urban environment in which it is inserted.

It is the meeting point for retired people who play cards, a point of passage of many places, a place of rest for tourists. Close to the Faculty of Fine Arts, it is also very frequented by students.

To the east of the garden is the Municipal Public Library and to the south, the magnificent baroque façade of the old convent of St. Lazaro, attributed to Nicolau Nasoni.

The garden is the only one in the city that is still surrounded by a railing.

It is one of the most beautiful romantic gardens in Porto.

The tradition of the Christmas eve dinner in Porto
9 December, 2020 / , ,

Christmas traditions have always had a very special meaning in the families of Porto, but 100 years ago it was all a little different.

The Christmas Eve dinner (dinner on the 24th of December) only existed in the north. In the south of Porto, from Advent, families fasted meat, and this day was spent in strict fasting. Only after the “Missa do Galo” (rooster’s mass) was the supper served.

Porto already followed the tradition of the Middle Ages, with the Christmas Codfish. The family gathered at the table to celebrate the “Consoada” (Christmas Eve), which comes from the verb consolation.

As one could not eat meat, and the codfish was the cheapest fish, the meal consisted of boiled codfish, accompanied with boiled cabbage and potatoes, watered by a good extra virgin national olive oil; the codfish pastries, the stewed octopus, or the octopus rice were other of the most chosen meatless dishes.

But since the 2d World War, only the richest families continued to be able to consume codfish on a regular basis, and for those the codfish became only for festive days.

There is a legend that in Toledo, before the 12 chimes, the farmers killed a rooster, which they took to church to give to the poorest, to have a happier Christmas. So the meat was reserved for Christmas Day (25 December) with the stuffed turkey being the king of this day.
The “Missa do Galo” was not part of Porto traditions, as family life should not be interrupted. In the north no one prayed for Child Jesus at midnight, because at that time everyone was around the octopus and the codfish.

For dessert, the Christmas “broas de natal” stand out, and later the famous “Bolo-rei”, in a round shape, with a hole in the middle. Traditionally, inside the cake there was a dried bean, and a small gift made of metal or ceramic. Whoever got the dried bean had the duty to pay for the next Bolo Rei, and the gift was lucky for whoever found it.

Behind this cake there is a symbolism about 2000 years old. The legend says that the cake represents the gifts that the Wise Men gave to the Child Jesus. The crown symbolizes gold, the crystallized and dried fruits are myrrh, and the aroma of the cake is incense.

This tradition was imported from France, from the court of Louis XIV, where this cake was made for New Year’s Eve and Kings Day celebrations. The Bolo-rei arrived in Porto in 1890 by the Confeitaria Cascais (pastry shop).

Another dessert that a Porto native does not dispense on Christmas Eve is “Aletria”. It has Arab origin and was made with fine pasta, almond milk and honey. It is usually covered with drawings made of cinnamon.

Also the “Rabanadas” are a sweet delicacy in the house of the Porto’s families. Here it is customary to get them drunk with port wine. In the south they are called “Fatias Douradas”.
The first recipes date back to 1611. In the early 20th century they were very common in Madrid, where the recipe came from.
Port wine is the nectar of the Porto’s Christmas, and it is always a good time to drink, buy and offer. Without ever forgetting the choice of the best wines to put on the table in these festivities.

Hospital Santo António – 250 years of City Hospital
6 November, 2020 / , ,

Located in the Historic Center of Porto, more specifically in Largo do Professor Abel Salazar, Hospital de Santo António completed, in 2020, 250 years since the first stone was laid.

The history of Hospital de Santo António emerges as a saga of determination, boldness and altruism. Right from the start, its construction, which, regardless of the megalomania of the project and the location error, very swampy, constituted a pressing need for the city in transformation.

However, it was demonstrated that, in order to build and maintain their Hospital, the people of Porto and their Misericórdia often found themselves alone and dismayed by the power that, at decisive moments, treated Porto with the pride of a centralism that only in the mid-twentieth century would begin to look at the city in the right measure of its hospital needs.
On 15 July 1770, the vacant land on the outskirts of Largo gave way to the construction of the Hospital, but the proposal presented by the English architect John Carr did not come to be fully implemented, such was its size, grandeur and cost. The start of construction was faced with an unexpected difficulty, the terrain that was very moist and swampy, making it difficult to build the foundations that would support the building. John Carr, who never came to Porto, designed the interiors in brick. The option for granite was expensive and prolonged the construction.

In addition to the geographical problems, the first years of construction were marked by the “turbulence” of the French invasions, between the 1770 and the beginning of the 19th century, causing only two thirds of the project to be carried out.

Further on in history, and already after the inauguration of the unit, which happened only in 1824, the country waged a civil war between absolutists and liberals and, later, still faced the bubonic plague and the Spanish flu of 1918.

It is also in 1825 that it is associated with the hospital, the Porto Medical-Surgical School, ancestor of the Faculty of Medicine of Porto that operated there until the end of the year 1959, moving to the newly built Hospital São João.

After 20 years, in 1979, the hospital again receives students from the 4th year of the medical course at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS) at the University of Porto, ensuring the regency of most of the curricular units. Currently, the average admission is the highest among the 7 integrated Master’s degrees in Medicine from Portuguese universities.
The building is the most Palladian of Portuguese buildings, and the largest, built outside the British Isles, developing on several floors, in a sober, simple and symmetrical way, but with well-defined volumes animating the surface.

It became the “city hospital” and, since 1910, it is considered a National Monument.

Today the Hospital de Santo António is the anchor of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, which also incorporates the Jacinto de Magalhães Medical Genetics Center and the Northern Albino Aroso Maternal and Child Center, resulting from the merger of the Júlio Dinis Maternity and the Children Hospital Maria Pia, as well as the human and cultural heritage of the Joaquim Urbano Infectious Diseases Hospital.

CHUP is dedicated to assistance, teaching, medical internships, training, innovation and clinical and scientific research. The direct reference area ranges from the cosmopolitan seafront to the old islands of Porto, passing through the city, working class neighborhoods and villages of Gondomar. It has about 4400 workers, from dozens of professions. Each day that passes, there are about 100 admissions, 2900 consultations, 140 scheduled surgeries, 420 emergency episodes, 300 episodes of day hospital and 10
parturition .

Each week, it hosts a new international multicentre clinical trial and places four scientific articles on an international basis. The library has numerous resources for searching and obtaining bibliography. The Museum of Medicine and Pharmacy is part of the Portuguese Museum Network, linking the hospital to the city and to tourists.

Writers’ route through Porto ( Camilo Castelo Branco )
1 October, 2020 / , ,

Although, he was born in Lisbon (1825) the illegitimate son of an aristocrat with his maid, at the age of 5 he came to live to the north – Vila Real, a mother orphan. At just 16 years old he married, and in 1843, 2 years later, he was a father. That same year he came to Porto to live alone, to Rua Escura, in the historic and picturesque district of the cathedral, to study medicine. Later he lived in the Hotel Paris, on Rua da Fábrica.

He was an elegant man, he was a renowned journalist and writer. In 1850, he enrolled at the Porto Seminary, where he studied theology and founded 2 religious newspapers.

Camilo’s life in Porto was intense, controversial and bohemian and caused some scandals of a loving nature. He was celebrated for his passion for Ana Plácido and consequent imprisonment in the jail of Relação. From these events, his most famous work “The Love of Perdition” was born, which was immortalized by a statue of the two, which can be seen next to the jail where both were imprisoned.

In 1868, Camilo returned to Porto to live on Rua de Santa Catarina and Rua de S. Lázaro, after marrying Ana Plácido and with her founded and directed the city’s Gazeta Literária.

The 1980s were very turbulent because they already saw very badly and maintained controversial relations with various masters of society. He was physically threatened several times and bought a revolver to defend himself. Ironically 7 years later he would use it to commit suicide after realizing that his blindness had no cure.
Camilo was buried in the cemetery of Lapa.

Until today, manuscripts of correspondence between Camilo, Ana Plácido and Freitas Fortuna and numerous Camillian objects are found in the Order of Lapa, such as the revolver with which he committed suicide, a silver snuff box, with the last note he used, the spyglass , the quill and the quill pen that served him recently, a book by Droz that Camilo began to translate in Cadeia da Relação, a conch that served Camilo as paperweights and his favorite inkwell.

Golf in Porto and North
25 September, 2020 / , , ,

Golf in Portugal also has a history and it is exactly from the beginning that we will start this article.

It all started in 1890, with the opening of the Oporto Golfe Club. By the hand of English aristocrats, linked to the Industry, who lived in the Douro.

Northern Portugal is a region with many diversities and with every reason to believe that it only has qualities. Rain, normally abundant in this region of the country, is an essential characteristic for the creation and maintenance of golf courses.

Without forgetting the warmth of its people and the strong and diverse gastronomy, combining secular traditions and the ‘twist’ of new trends, the North has the production of some of the best wines in the world, of which we cannot fail to highlight the unique and exclusive Port Wine.

The golf has been added to all this, with unique design courses that are combined with beaches and mountains in perfect harmony.

Any golfer from any corner of the world, who has already had the experience of playing on one of these wonderful courses, knows well that it is worth returning.

Writers’ route through Porto ( Júlio Dinis )
21 September, 2020 / , ,

Júlio Dinis (1839-1871), was born and baptized in Porto, in the parish of S. Nicolau.

He studied in Miragaia where he wrote the first literary texts, and studied medicine at the University of Porto. In 1852 and 1853, he lived in the village of Noêda, in the parish of Campanhã. In 1874 the writer moved in with his cousin’s family to Rua de Costa Cabral, in the parish of Paranhos, where he would later die of tuberculosis – he was 32 years old.

When he attended the first year of the Polytechnic Academy, he became acquainted and maintained an intimate friendship with the poet Soares de Passos, and from this circumstance he intensified his love of beautiful letters. He also participated in theater groups, and collaborated with Jornal do Porto.

In his books “Os Fidalgos da Casa Mourisca”, “A Morgadinha dos Canaviais” and “Uma Família Inglesa” we can find many references to the city where he was born, lived and died.

A sculptural ensemble, with a female figure who places a wreath near the poet’s bust, in low relief. He was buried in the cemetery of Cedofeita, together with his brother.

(Português) O Sol Voltou ao Porto – As Praias do Porto
4 August, 2020 / , ,

The sunny days and heat encourage you to go to the beach and in Porto you do not have to go far to find a quiet place by the sea to sunbathe, stroll, savour a delicious meal or a cool drink.

Being in a city by the beach is an easy dream to fulfil for those who are in Porto. Visit the nine Blue Flag beaches where you can enjoy the summer without giving up the city life.

PRAIA DAS PASTORAS
(SHEPHERDESS BEACH)
The beach is delimited by two piers, which protects it from the wind. It is here that the Douro River flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
It has this name because it was customary for the shepherdesses to bring their sheep here to graze on the herbs and smell the seaside.

PRAIA DO OURIGO
The bathing tradition dates back to the 16th century, when it was said that these waters healed diseases.

PRAIA DO HOMEM DO LEME
(HELM MAN BEACH)
It’s ideal for those who have children, since it has two playgrounds. It is a rocky beach, with an area of 374 sq
meters. The name comes from the bronze statue, placed on Avenida de Montevideu, which pays homage to the fishermen.

PRAIA DO CARNEIRO
(RAM BEACH)
It has an extensive beach and has been very popular since the 19th century. Some centuries ago it was agrazing area. A folk tale tells that it was here that one of those sheep strayed from its fold. The image of the
sheep was eternalized on top of the Chalé Suíço (a kiosk that still exists today in Rua do Passeio Alegre).

PRAIA DE GONDARÉM
A beach with 115 meters of extension. The name of this beach derives from the Latin and means something like “rest in the battle”. It has a stone wall that is covered because of high tides, making it safer for children.

PRAIA DOS INGLESES
(BEACH OF THE ENGLISH)
As the name implies, it was a beach preferred by the British community of Porto. An 86 sq meters sandbank, an area of very smooth slopes and fine sand.

PRAIA DA LUZ
A small beach framed by rocks and a garden area on Avenida do Brasil. When the tide is low you can see two pontoons supporting the baths of the 19th century.

PRAIA DO MOLHE
(QUAY BEACH)
It has an extension of 168 meters and it is named after the coastal structure, similar to a pontoon that advances into the sea and limits the bathing zone. The landscape is embellished by the Pérgola da Foz, a cement balustrade built in the 1930s that functions as a privileged gazebo over the sea. The staircase and the surrounding area make it one of the most beautiful beaches in Porto.

PRAIA CASTELO DO QUEIJO
Located next to Castelo do Queijo. It is a rocky area, much sought after by fishermen and people seeking to take advantage of the medicinal properties of rocks.