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A friendship of centuries
14 March, 2017 /

A friendship of centuries

The influence of the English in the city of Porto and specifically the Port wine is well known, but the relationship between Porto and British is much older.

The first contact took place around June 1147, when the English Crusaders who were going to the Holy Land stayed in Porto for 11 days waiting for the forces commanded by the Count of Areschot and Cristiano de Gistell, who had separated from the fleet due to a tempest at sea . The first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, on learning of this fact, tried to establish an agreement with their leaders, convincing them to help in the conquest of Lisbon from the Moors.

The relationship intensified during the middle Ages, with the establishment of commercial relations. Cloths, wine, wood, furs and fish were the products traded between the two countries.

The 2 of February of 1367 the Cathedral of the Porto was stage of the marriage between D. João I and D. Filipa de Lencastre, a union that would offset the support of the British in the fight against Castile. In 1642, two years after the restoration of Portugal’s independence, Porto receives the first British consul, Nicholas Comerforde.

The old municipal prison to become a National Monument
13 March, 2017 /

The old municipal prison to become a National Monument

The historic building, which since 2001 has housed the Center of Portuguese Photography, will be classified as a National Monument.

The building was completed in 1796 and since then, this imposing building, situated in the Historic Center, very close to the Torre dos Clérigos, has had several uses, having been a court, as well as a prison.

It was in this prison that the famous Portuguese writer Camilo Castelo Branco wrote his most famous work, “Amor de Perdição”, in 1861. The writer had been sentenced for adultery and based on the story about his uncle, Simão Botelho, who had also been imprisoned there, and like the characters in the book, he had lived a tragic and forbidden love story that would lead him to his death.

Zé do Telhado, a nineteenth-century type Robin Hood who according to legend robbed the rich to give to the poor had also been in this prison.

The old municipal prison was restored by the architects Eduardo Souto Moura and Humberto Vieira.

Cinema returns to Downtown
13 March, 2017 / ,

Cinema Trindade, in the center of Oporto, receives spectators again after the closure 16 years ago.

With the appearance of the large cinemas in shopping centers, downtown traditional cinemas lost audiences and eventually had to close their doors. A trend that has reversed now, with the reopening of Cinema Trindade and other ongoing projects.

This imposing cinema was inaugurated in 1916, with the designation “Salão Jardim Trindade”. In addition to a room with more than a thousand seats, it had an outdoor cinema terrace. This now reopened space, has adapted to modern times, with two cinema rooms separated by a foyer: one with 183 seats, the other with 168 seats. The former focuses on the cinema of authors and the latter will be a space for festivals, programmers or independent filmmakers.

The return of the cinema to the city centre will have its high point when Cinema Batalha begins to welcome the future House of the Cinema, a place that, besides showing movies, will also have a space for research. The opening is expected to take place in 2018. The Cinema Passos Manuel, next to the Coliseum, will also be modernized.

Rua do Almada 412, Porto

fotos: Miguel Nogueira/CM Porto

 

Club of “weird jerseys”
11 March, 2017 /

Portuguese champion in 2000/01, Boavista has over 100 years of history. Established by the British, it stood out in the 90’s. The checkered jerseys led it to become known in Italy as “the club of weird jerseys.”

The British, which due to the business of Port Wine had a large community in the city, introduced football in Porto. The Boavista Footballers was set up in 1903, but few years later, due to a disagreement concerning the days when the matches should be held – the Portuguese preferred to play on Sundays whereas the British wanted to play on Saturdays – resulted in the subjects of His Majesty walking out on the club.

As Boavista  Futebol Clube, it had a strong growth over the following decades. The main feature was winning the Portuguese Championship in 2000/01, but participation in European competition had been going on for some years. And it was in 1991/92 during a UEFA Cup qualifying match against Inter Milan, came up the nickname “club of weird jerseys,” an allusion to the black  and white checkered jerseys.

The Bessa Stadium, renovated for Euro 2004, has a museum with the history of the club, a walk of fame and two sculptures by José Rodrigues in which the panther, the club symbol , is highlighted.

Commercial Association of Porto – 181 years of history
6 March, 2017 /

Despite the fact that it was officially founded in December 1834, the Commercial Association of Porto which dates back to the twelfth century, when trade and tradesmen, especially in coastal areas, were gaining more power.

Over the centuries, owing to its strategic location and the entrepreneurial spirit of its people, the city of Porto acquired great importance, becoming an important financial center in Europe and the world. It was at this stage that a shared “Trust fund” was established, created by merchants to cover risks and shipment losses of their commodities. This fund was recognized in 1295 by King Dinis and in 1402 by King John I.

However, until 1834 there was no organization of traders with legal status and competent to meet the needs of local entrepreneurs. At this point, meetings, the exchange of information, business and auctions were held in the “Juntina”, located at the then Rua dos Ingleses. After the Liberal Revolution of 1822 and the enactment of the Commercial Code, the Juntina was the basis of the founding of the Porto Commercial Association, which is currently the second oldest Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Portugal mainland.

 

Cathedral of Porto: the gem of the city
6 March, 2017 / ,

The Porto Cathedral began to be built in the twelfth century, but over the centuries it received influences of the Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo periods.

Just the architecture of the Cathedral of Porto is sufficient to be considered one of the jewels of the city. The Gothic initial construction, conspicuous in the cloister and the Chapel of São João Evangelista, together with the singularity of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and its silver altar. The Baroque of the eighteenth century is present in the frescos of the chancel and sacristy, by Nicolau Nasoni, and in the tiles of the cloister.

The interior of the cathedral is a real treasure, with invaluable furniture, consisting of tables and sinks in rare marble, the mirrors trims, cabinets and a black wood clock in Rococo style.

Outside, the patio of the cathedral is surrounded by the buildings of the Cathedral, the canon house, Episcopal Palace and Town Hall. It is one
of the privileged viewpoints in the city. From that point it is possible to behold the area of Barredo, the River Douro and the city of Gaia.

Fernando Távora – The Master of “Porto School”
3 March, 2017 /

He was one of the most renowned names in Portuguese architecture and the “father” of the so-called “Porto School”.

Born on August 25, 1923, in Porto, Fernando Távora was from a conservative family, descendant of the noble lineage of the Távoras. His first years of life were spent on family estates in Minho, in Bairrada and on the beaches of Foz do Douro. From an early age he showed a great aptitude for drawing and an avid interest in old houses. Contrary to the wishes of the family, who wanted him to study Civil Engineering, he enrolled at the Porto School of Fine Arts in 1941 to study Architecture.

He was a professor at institutions such as the School of Fine Arts of Porto (ESBAP), the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto (FAUP) – which he helped establish – and at the University of Coimbra. Founder of the so-called “Escola do Porto”, he was one of the great influences of other great names of national architecture such as Siza Vieira.

In addition to several works that he designed, and which reflect creativity, functionality, but also social responsibility, he equally contributed in the area of ​​heritage conservation and restoration.

Fernando Távora died on September 3, 2005.

Some of the most emblematic works:

  • Municipal Market of Santa Maria da Feira
  • Tennis pavilion and outdoor arrangements at Quinta da Conceição, Matosinhos
  • Restoration and adaptation of the Convent of Santa Marinha and Pousada, Guimarães
  • General plan of the Urbanization of Guimarães
  • Remodeling and expansion of the National Museum of Soares dos Reis, Porto
  • Restoration and adaptation of the Palácio do Freixo and Pousada, Porto
  • Casa dos 24, Porto (Historic Town Hall)

Porto.
3 March, 2017 /

Porto is one of Europe’s oldest tourist destinations. Its wealth of monumental and artistic heritage, Port Wine, open-air leisure spaces and cultural life are just some of the reasons to visit this city.

At any time of the day, 365 days of the year, Porto has a special charm for anyone visiting the city for the first time, as it does for those coming back for a second visit, to discover a city that is simultaneously modern and authentic. In 1996, the historical centre of Porto was classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

The city unfolds along the river bank and the sea shore, to reveal charming vistas, inviting esplanades and all the pleasures of the outdoors, framed by its green spaces.

Setting out to discover Porto means bumping into surprise after surprise. Whilst maintaining its welcoming and conservative nature, the city is, at the same time, contemporary and creative. This can be seen in its streets, its architectures and its monuments, its museums, its leisure spaces, its esplanades and its shopping areas which run from the traditional to the modern and exclusive.

Events enliven the annual cultural and sporting calendars, culminating in ‘São João’, the city’s very own Feast.

Avenida dos Aliados – Porto’s living room
3 March, 2017 / ,

It is the heart of the city, where heads of state are received, victories are celebrated and important dates such as New Year or St. John are commemorated.

In fact, the space that is commonly known as Avenida dos Aliados and includes Praça da Liberdade (south) and General Humberto Delgado Square on the north side where the City Hall is located. The central location and its dimensions are ideal to welcome thousands of people, being therefore the chosen place to celebrate great moments of the city.

Granite predominates in the buildings, many of them true works of art built during a golden age of Porto. Plans to make this place a public square go back to the seventeenth century, but it would take several years before the works progressed. The agricultural fields gave way to more modern streets, but it would only be in the nineteenth century for this place to become the political, economic and social center of the city. Cafes and taverns occupied a space which later was replaced by banks and offices and today, in addition to terraces and restaurants, it also houses hotels and shops, as well as statues and sculptures that contrast with the water reflection and granite pavement of recent construction.

The works of the avenue began in 1916, with the demolition of the previous municipal buildings. The new City Hall results from a project of the architect Correia da Silva dating back to 1920, but the installations were only completed in the 50’s.

However, in the 21st century, due to the construction of an underground station in the Aliados, the space would once again be remodeled in a project by the architects Álvaro Siza Vieira and Eduardo Souto Moura.

January 31, 1891 – A revolution that ended in bloodshed
3 March, 2017 / ,

On January 31, 1891, the first attempt to establish the Republic took place in Porto. Discontented with the economic crisis and a British-launched Ultimatum, which called into question the Portuguese presence in Africa, a group of influential northern men led dozens of soldiers toward the center of the city with the intention of taking the Post Office and Telegraphs and proclaim the Republic. They were eventually blocked by the municipal guard, faithful to the Monarchy and placed on the steps of the Church of Santo Ildefonso.

The Republic came to be proclaimed on the balcony of the City Hall, which would be the last stronghold of the rebels. Those who did not die in the battle would eventually be taken to ships stationed at Leixões. Others managed to escape abroad. The Republic would only be proclaimed in 1910.

The memory of this date still remains today in the toponymy of the city, with Rua 31 de Janeiro, in downtown Porto, as well as in the streets that have the names of the authors of this frustrated revolution: Alves da Veiga, Rodrigues de Freitas or Alferes Malheiro.

Source: O Tripeiro (New Series) Year X number 1