This post is based primarily on
Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our Camino in 2016.
When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers
or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).
Most of the photos that accompany
this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was
taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of
the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain
Wikimedia Commons) indicate that source in the caption.
As
planned in our itinerary, we stayed another day in Porto. For the benefit of readers who might be joining the blog on
this date, the following general information about Porto is repeated:
Porto (pop. around ½
million in the city, with 2.1 million in the greater urban area), also known as
Oporto, is situated on the estuary of the Rio Douro (River of Gold), with the
western part of the urban area extending to the Atlantic coast. In Portuguese,
the name of the city is spelled with a definite article (o Porto; in English, the port). Consequently, its English name
evolved from a misinterpretation of the oral pronunciation and referred to it
as Oporto.
The city grew out of a modest
Celtic settlement atop what is now called the Colina da Sé (Hillock of the
Cathedral). The first known inhabitants were Proto-Celtic and Celtic people
around 300 BC. There was a Celtic castro
(hill fortress, also known as calle)
at the mouth of the Douro River. Around that fortress, on the south side of the
river, developed the primitive town of Calle or Cale. The name of the town
derived from the Castro people, also known as the Calleici or Galleici, a
Celtic people who occupied the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. When the
Romans occupied the Peninsula, they called this region Gallaecia (or, less commonly, Calaecia).
(In Classical Latin there was not always a clear distinction between the
letters “g” and “c.”) The Calleici or
Galleici are also the origin of
today’s Galicia and the –gal in Portugal. Around 136 BC, the
Romans established a port on the north side of the river, which they called Portus Cale, meaning the port (Latin portus) of Cale. In Roman times, the
bulk of the population probably lived on the south side of the river, but a
smaller settlement developed around the port on the north bank of the river (in
what is now the Ribeira district of Porto). The name of this town in Roman and
early medieval times was Portus Cale. This became an important commercial port,
primarily involved in the trade between Olisipo (Lisbon) and Bracara Augusta
(Braga). With increased trade on the Douro, which was easily navigable deep
inland, the Porto part of the city outgrew Cale and became more important.
When the Visigoths invaded this
area around 540 AD, the name of the city of Portus Cale and the region around
it evolved into Portucale, which was
the origin of the name Portugal took when it became an independent nation in
the 12th century.
The Visigoths took the site
around 540 AD and held it until Porto fell under the control of the Moors
during their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in 711. In 868, Vimara Peres, a
warlord from Gallaecia (a former Roman province in northwest Iberia) and a
vassal of the King of Asturias, Léon and Galicia, was sent to reconquer and
secure the lands from the Moors. After reconquering the region north of the Douro,
he established the Condado de Portucale (County of Portugal), during Moorish
rule in the rest of the kingdom. Even after that, the Moors twice again held
the city briefly, but Christian forces recaptured Porto in 997 and again in
1092, when it was finally brought under Christian domination.
By the 14th century, Porto had
well-established trade links, and a wealthy merchant class emerged and began to
build substantial civic structures. In the 14th and 15th centuries, Porto’s
shipyards contributed to the development of Portuguese shipbuilding. Prince
Henry the Navigator was born here in 1394, and his house is now in a square
bearing his name. It was from Porto that Prince Henry embarked on the conquest
of a Moorish port in Morocco, followed by exploration along the western coast
of Africa and initiating the Portuguese Age of Discovery. By the 15th century,
the city was playing a leading role in the maritime discoveries of the New
World. The historical city center was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in
1996. The Ribeira (riverbank) district, the oldest part of the city, is filled
with ancient houses, narrow cobbled medieval streets, old arcades on the
riverfront promenade, and numerous family-owned restaurants, cafés, and bars.
The modern city is the second largest in Portugal, after Lisbon, and one of the
major urban areas on the Iberian Peninsula.
Portugal’s famous port wine is
named for Porto, since the metropolitan area, and in particular the cellars of
Vila Nova de Gaia (just across the river from Porto), are responsible for its
packaging, transport, and export. Already in the 13th century, wine produced in
the Douro Valley was transported to Porto in barcos rabelos (flat-bottomed sailing boats). In 1703, a treaty
established trade relations between Portugal and England, and British merchants
were permitted to import port at a low duty, while war with France prevented
England from getting French wines. According to popular belief, port was originally
a British phenomenon, invented by adding grape brandy to wine to maintain its
quality during the long sea voyage from Portugal to Britain. More accurately,
however, British importers simply recognized that a smooth, already fortified
wine that would appeal to English palates would coincidentally survive the trip
to London. The first English trading post was established in Porto in 1717. Although
there was some attempt to give Portuguese firms a monopoly on the production of
port wines, the business soon passed into the hands of British firms and many
of the cellars still have the old English names.
In 1809, during the Peninsular
War, the population of Porto fled from Napoleon’s advancing French troops and
tried to cross the Douro, but the bridge collapsed under the weight, causing
thousands of deaths. However the French were soon routed out of Porto by an
Anglo-Portuguese army led by the Duke of Wellington, in a brilliant coup de main using wine barges to
transport the troops.
We
woke around 7 am and went to the breakfast buffet at Hotel Vila Galé after 8:00.
Porto: carimbo stamp from “Hotel Vila Galé Porto, Av. Fernão de Magalhães,
7, 4300-190 Porto, [picture of telephone] 22 519 18 00 l Fax: 22 519 18 50, Contribuinte N° [taxpayer number] 501 697 276.”
Tuesday, September 13, 2016, 9:11 AM – Porto: view of Porto from breakfast
room of Hotel Vila Galé.
After
breakfast, we decided to walk
(rather than take the Metro) down to
the city center and try to see things we had missed the day before. The morning
was cloudy and the sky looked threatening; however, late morning and afternoon
would turn sunny.
As
we headed toward the city center, we were on Rua de Santa Catarina when we came
to the Majestic Café.
9:45 AM – Porto: approaching Majestic Café -
exterior.
The Majestic Café is one of the best known Belle Époche cafés in
Portugal and is on the list of the Top 10 most beautiful cafés in the world. In
1921, a luxurious café named Café Elite opened on the Rua de Santa Catarina, Porto’s
mostly pedestrianized main shopping street, in the most central place in Porto.
The new café used to be the meeting point for the elite of the city: writers,
politicians, artists, and thinkers. It attracted not only the intellectuals and
bohemians of the 1920s, but also the ladies of the highest society, who stopped
there for tea or an ice cream on their walk. Although the café was open to the
public, the name “Elite” did not fit the republican, bourgeois, and chic ambience of Porto at that time, and
the name was changed to Majestic, under the influence of the French Belle
Époche (Beautiful Era, 1871-1914). By the 1960s, however, cultural life of the
city fell into a slow and steady decline under a repressive authoritarian
regime, and in the 1960s and 70s the Majestic Café itself fell into disrepair. In
1981, the structure was classified as a Building of Public Interest because of
its unique architecture. In 1992, it was decided to restore the café, and, after
closing for two years of reconstruction, it opened its doors again in 1994, as
one of the most beautiful cafés in Porto.
The imposing marble façade, adorned with plant motifs of
sinuous forms reflects the Arte Nova decorative style of its time (based on the
French Art Nouveau style, meaning new art, most popular 1890-1910). The façade
has many glass windows bordered by a rectangular frame. At the top in a
pediment with the intertwined MC initials of the Majestic Café. Flanking the
door are two statues of playful putti
(cherub-like chubby children) who invite passers-by to come in. The Arte Nova
style also reigns within.
The café’s website says that the author
JK Rowling, when living in Porto, spent a lot of time in the Majestic Café
working on her first Harry Potter novel. However, biographical sources say that
Rowling lived in Porto from 1991 to 1993, when the café would have been in
disrepair or closed for reconstruction. However, the definitive biography by
Sean Smith reports that Rowling spent a lot of time in the Majestic Café to
work on her first Potter novel.
MT 9:52 AM – Porto: Majestic Café – entrance
door, with MC initials in pediment above putti
statues.
As
we continued south, at an intersection the end of Rua de Santa Catarina, we had
a clear view to the west toward the Igreja
e Torre dos Clérigos, but did not turn that way.
9:48 AM – Porto: view down street toward Igreja
e Torre dos Clérigos.
Continuing
to the south, we came to the Igreja da
Ordem do Terço. The Rua de Cimo da Vila (Street of the Top of the Town) was
so narrow that we could only photograph the whole façade from a side angle.
9:55 AM – Porto: Igreja da Ordem do Terço –
façade from left.
The Igreja da Venerável Irmandade de Nossa Senhora do Terço e Caridade
(Church of the Venerable Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Rosary and Charity) is
more commonly known as Igreja da Ordem do Terço (Church of the Order of the
Rosary) or simply Igreja do Terço (Church of the Rosary).* Its origins go back
to a group of Porto residents who, in devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary,
gathered at night to pray the rosary in an oratory (chapel) that existed near
the place where the church is today. In 1754, thanks to a collection of alms,
two priests bought two houses near the Porta de Cimo de Vila (Gate of the Top
of the Town) on order to have space to build a larger chapel. Work on the
chapel, attributed to Nicolau Nasoni (according to the order’s website www.ordemdotreco.pt), began in 1756
and was completed in 1759. In 1771, a square bell tower was added to the south
of the main (west) façade. Between 1774 and 1775, the chapel underwent
expansion and was redesignated as a Church. The church and the adjacent
hospital have been classified as UNESCO World Heritage sites, due to their
historical and artistic values.
The main (west) façade, in carved granite, features Rococo elements,
and was covered in the 19th century with blue and white azulejo tiles, some of which are now falling off. The door, with a
staircase, in the center of the façade has curvilinear jambs with scrolls,
topped by a cartouche. The central window is a large oval in the form of a
monstrance.
Growing out of the original
prayer community, the Venerável
Irmandade de Nossa Senhora do Terço e Caridade (Venerable Brotherhood of
Our Lady of the Rosary and Charity) was officially formed in 1766, with
statutes calling for charitable action (hence the Charity in the order’s name).
This charity was not limited to the Brothers alone, but extended to the sick
and incarcerated. Therefore, the Hospital
da Irmandade do Terço (Hospital of the Brotherhood of the Rosary), also
known as Hospital da Ordem do Terço (Hospital of the Order of the Rosary) or
simply Hospital do Terço (Hospital of the Rosary), was built adjacent to the
church and inaugurated in 1781. The façade of the hospital was also covered
with blue and white azulejo tiles.
Many important and pioneering surgical events took place here, thanks to the
illustrious names of Portuguese medicine who worked here.
Porto: Hospital da
Irmandade do Terço – façade with azulejos
(https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital_da_Ordem_do_Ter%C3%A7o#/media/File:Hospital_Terco_(Porto).jpg).
*Terço in Portuguese
literally means Third. The Rosary was traditionally divided into three groups
of five mysteries: the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries. Each group,
because it corresponded to one-third of the Rosary, was called a Third (Terço
in Portuguese). Since it was common to choose only one Third to pray at a
particular time, reciting and meditating on a Third became synonymous with
saying the Rosary. In 2002, Pope John Paul III instituted a fourth group of
mysteries, the Luminous Mysteries. However, because the name was very popular,
each of the four groups is still called a Third.
9:55 AM – Porto: Igreja da Ordem do Terço –
sign in Portuguese and English; English text [edited per Portuguese]:
“The
church was constructed in [the second half of] the 18th century in honor of Our
Lady of the Rosary [,whose image had previously been venerated in the oratory,
near the current church]. The decoration of the façade demonstrates details [Portuguese:
elements] of Rococo style and is attributed to João Joaquim Alão. Worthy of
note is the central window in the shape of a monstrance.”
João
Joaquim Alves de Sousa Alão was an established sculptor in Porto before moving
to Rio de Janeiro. In Porto, he is credited with the statues of the façade of
the Igreja dos Terceiros de São Francisco (Church of the Third Order of St.
Francis)* and the Statue of Porto that is on the façade of the Chamber in the
Praça Nova (New Square). He is credited with works in Brazil in 1816 and 1824.
*The most famous architect who
worked for that Order in the 18th century was Nicolau Nasoni, who had primary
responsibility for the adjacent Dispatch House of the Order.
9:56 AM – Porto: Igreja da Ordem do Terço –
façade from right, with bell tower.
MT 10:02 AM – Porto: Igreja da Ordem do Terço –
door in façade, with azulejo tiles
around it; in the cartouche above the door is the Latin inscription “AVE MARIA
GRATIA PLENA DOMINUS TECUM” (Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord be with you),
which is the beginning of the Hail Mary prayer in the Rosary.
From
there, we went to visit the Estação de São
Bento (St. Benedict Station), which we would pass again later.
12:50 PM – Porto: Estação de São Bento –
exterior, with Igreja dos Congregados at left (photo taken when we passed the
station again later).
The Estação Ferroviária de São Bento (St. Benedict Railway Station),
also called Estação São Bento (St.
Benedict Station), is named after a Benedictine monastery that formerly
occupied this site. The Convento de São Bento da Avé María (Convent of St.
Benedict of the Hail Mary), which had been built here in the 16th century
(begun in 1518), was damaged by fire in 1783; it was later rebuilt but was in a
serious state of disrepair by the end of the 19th century. Already in 1864,
there was talk of building a central railway station, but work on the tunnel
for the station did not begin until 1890, and the demolition of the convent (opposed
by the clergy) was not finished until February 1896. Later in 1896, the first
train arrived at a temporary São Bento station, in wooden sheds, and the
architect presented his final design for the construction of a building under
the influence of French Beaux-Arts architecture. Construction of the building,
originally known as Estação Central do Porto (Central Station of Portugal),
began in 1900, and it was finally officially inaugurated in 1916.
The three-story granite building
is in a U-shape, with its main façade
facing to the southwest. The central body of that façade, corresponding to the
main entrance hall inside, has a strong architrave cornice over corbels, and
the lateral facades have similar decoration. The façade has strong French
influence, as do the side towers, with a typical style of the School of
Fontainebleau, oscillating between Renaissance and Belle Époque architecture.
Porto – Estação de São Bento
– south (right) end of entrance hall and door at right leading from the
entrance hall into the station proper
The grand entrance hall (vestibule) of the station has a monumental display of over 20,000 azulejo tiles, in large, magnificent panels that show in historical themes the narrative style of a romantic “picture postcard.” The tiles date from 1905-1916 and are the work of Jorge Colaço (1864-1942), the most important azulejo painter of the time. The largest panels, on the end walls, depict historical events: the Battle of Arcos de Valdevez (1140), the meeting of the knight Egas Moniz and Alfonso VII of León (12th century), the arrival of King João I and Philippa of Lancaster in at the Cathedral of Porto for their marriage (1387), and the Conquest of Ceuta in Morocco by Prince Henry the Navigator (1415). The historical panels are the most notable. On the border wall at the entrance are small panels depicting countryside scenes from Porto everyday life, landscapes, and ethnographic scenes. All these panels are executed in blue and white painted tiles, similar to those used by Colaço and others for various churches around Porto. These panels are framed by granite pilasters and archways that integrate them into the architecture of the building.
Around the top of the walls,
above the blue and white panels, is a frieze of polychromatic azulejos depicting the history of
transportation in Portugal, concluding with the inauguration of railways. These
tiles were produced by the Sacavém Factory and installed between 1905 and 1906
by Colaço. The upper and lower edges of that frieze are framed with bands of
tiles in blue, browns, and yellow in a stylized floral geometric pattern.
10:05 AM – Porto: Estação de São Bento – north
(left) end of entrance hall and doors at right leading from the entrance hall
into the station proper.
10:07 AM – Porto: Estação de São Bento – large azulejo panel over doors depicts Battle of
Arcos de Valdevez; medium-size azulejo
panel below it depicts the meeting of the knight Egas Moniz and Alfonso VII of
León.
10:07 AM (Cropped) – Porto: Estação de São Bento
– Battle of Arcos de Valdevez, with frieze above it depicting history of
transportation.
At the top of the north (left)
wall of the entrance hall is a large azulejo
composition depicting the Battle of Arcos
de Valdevez (1140), with two groups of antagonists and other knights in the
background. This monochromatic composition is executed in blue and white,
similar to all the other main azulejo
“paintings.”
The Torneio de Arcos de Valdevez (Battle of Arcos de Valdevez) took
place at Arcos de Valdevez on the banks of the Vez River (Valdevez means valley
of the Vez), between the forces of Alfonso VII of the Kingdom of León and his
cousin Dom Afonso Henriques (later Afonso I of the Kingdom of Portugal), in the
spring of 1141 (not the summer of 1140 as erroneously referred to for a long
time). The primary combatants on both sides were mounted knights. It is
believed that, after a few hours of brawls and taunts, in order to avoid a mêlée
(pitched battle), each monarch selected his best knights for individual
jousting matches, and the “battle” actually turned into a great jousting torneio (tournament)—unlike the battle
scene depicted in these azulejos. Both
sides needed to conserve men and resources in order to deal with a Moorish
invasion of the south of both territories. In the tournament, the Portuguese
succeeded in gaining the advantage and defeated the Leonese knights, taking
many of them prisoner according to the code of chivalry, but few lives were
lost. In the end, an armistice was signed, and prisoners were exchanged. The
armistice eventually became the Treaty of Zamora (1143) under which Alfonso VII
recognized Portugal’s independence and recognized Afonso Henriques as King of
Portugal.
10:09 AM – Porto: Estação de São Bento –
medium-size azulejo panel, below the
Battle of Arcos de Valdevez, depicts the meeting of the knight Egas Moniz and
Alfonso VII of León.
The lower azulejo composition on the north (left) wall shows the knight Egas
Moniz presenting himself before King Alfonso VII of León in Toledo, offering
his life, his wife, and his sons (12th century).
Egas
Moniz IV de Riba Douro (1080-1146) was a wealthy Portuguese man from the
line of Riba Douro (meaning High Bank of the Douro), one of the five great
families between the Minho and Douro rivers in the 12th century. It was to him
that the Conde de Portucale (Count of Portugal) entrusted the education of his
son Afonso Henriques, who would be the last Count of Portugal and the first
King of the Kingdom of Portugal. The County of Portugal had been nominally
dependent on the Kingdom of León, Castile, and Galicia, then governed by Queen
Urraca. When the Count died in 1112, his wife Dona Teresa of León ruled the
County of Portucale during the minority of her son and became attached to the
power. Although she adopted the title of Queen of Portucale, Teresa was forced
to accept the county’s vassalage to León in 1121.
On Urraca’s death in 1127, her
son Alfonso VII succeeded her to the throne and assumed the title of Emperador
de toda a Hispânia (Emperor of All of Hispania), seeking the vassalage of the
other kingdoms, including among them also the County of Portugal. In 1128, the
young Afonso Henriques was made head of the barons who feared Galician
influence on Portucale and was forced into battle against his mother, Dona Teresa,
the half-sister of Queen Urraca. Shortly thereafter, Alfonso VII laid siege to
Guimarães, then the political seat of the county, and demanded an oath of
vassalage from his cousin Afonso Henriques. Egas Moniz addressed the emperor,
informing him that his cousin accepted submission. Alfonso lifted the siege of
Guimarães and departed. However, after moving his capital to Coimbra in 1131,
Afonso Henriques felt strong enough to break the ties that bound him to Alfonso
VII. He made war on him and invaded Galicia. Since Afonso Henriques did not
comply with his oath, Egas Moniz, according to legend, on learning what had
happened, went to Toledo, the imperial capital. Accompanied by his wife and
children—in poor robes of those condemned to death, barefoot, and with a rope
around their necks—he placed his life and theirs at the disposal of the emperor
as a pledge of keeping the oath of 9 years earlier. Kneeling before the king,
he told him that he could not keep what he had promised and was prepared to
die, with all his family. It is said that the emperor, deeply impressed by so
much courage and sense of honor, forgave him, released him from his promise, and
sent him back to Portucale in peace.
10:09 AM (Cropped) – Porto: Estação de São Bento
– detail of Egas Moniz and his family, in poor robes of those condemned to
death, barefoot, and with a rope around their necks,kneeling before Alfonso VII of León.
10:06 AM – Porto: Estação de São Bento – south
(right) end of entrance hall with large azulejo
panel over doors depicting the arrival of King João I in Porto, to celebrate
his marriage to Philippa of Lancaster, with Cathedral in background;
medium-size azulejo panel below it
depicts Prince Henry the Navigator in the conquest of Ceuta.
10:07 AM – Porto: Estação de São Bento – large azulejo panel over doors depicts the
arrival of King João I in Porto, to celebrate his marriage to Philippa of
Lancaster, with Cathedral in background; medium-size azulejo panel below it depicts Prince Henry the Navigator in the
conquest of Ceuta; the doors at this end of the hall are for information and
tickets.
10:07 AM (Cropped) – Porto: Estação de São Bento
– large azulejo panel over doors
depicts the arrival of King João I in Porto, to celebrate his marriage to
Philippa of Lancaster, with Cathedral in background; above the panel is frieze
depicting history of transportation, including the advent of railways (at left).
At the top of the south (right)
wall of the entrance hall is an azulejo
“painting” of the entrance into Porto of King
João I of Portugal and his English fiancé Philippa of Lancaster, both on
horseback, to celebrate their wedding in the Cathedral of Porto (1387).
Philippa was born into the royal family of England and her marriage secured the
Treaty of Windsor (1386), which established a long-lasting Portuguese-British
alliance that originally united them against an alliance of France and Castile,
but continued through the Napoleonic Wars and still exists today. The marriage
was a matter of a state and political alliance, and took place between military
maneuvers. Although the marriage had been blessed by the church in the
Cathedral of Porto on February 2, 1387, the actual wedding ceremony did not
take place until February 14. So the couple did not actually meet until 12 days
after they were legally married. On the eve of the wedding, the King had arrived
in Porto with his close companion Nuno Pereira, who would be his best man, both
fresh from fighting the Castilians. On the wedding morning, they hurried to the
Bishop’s palace, where they greeted the bride. The betrothed couple were then
mounted on a pair of white horses and led a procession (which included the
King’s 10-year-old bastard son, one of three children he already had by his
mistress) to the Cathedral. After the wedding, they all went back to the
Bishop’s palace for the wedding feast. Immediately after the festivities, the
groom, his best man, and the father of the bride went back to their military
pursuits. The marriage produced 9 children, 6 of whom survived to adulthood and
became known as the “Illustrious Generation” in Portugal; although Edward
succeeded his father as king, the most famous of them was Prince Henry the
Navigator, who guided the Portuguese Age of Discovery.
10:07 AM (Cropped) – Porto: Estação de São Bento
– detail of large azulejo panel of
King João I and Philippa of Lancaster arriving on horseback in Porto for their
marriage in the Cathedral, with Cathedral in background.
10:07 AM – Porto: Estação de São Bento –
medium-size azulejo panel depicts
Prince Henry the Navigator in the conquest of Ceuta.
The lower azulejo composition on the south (right) wall depicts the Conquest
of Ceuta (1415), at the northwest tip of Africa, marking the beginning of the
Portuguese colonization in Africa. The principal figure is the Infante Dom
Henrique (Prince Henry [the Navigator]), who subjugated the Moors.
10:06 AM – Porto: Estação de São Bento - top
panel seems to depict a bucolic scene of the 19th century with women harvesting
fruit [grapes and possibly figs from tree?]; lower panel shows boats on Douro,
one ready to load a barrel of Port wine from an ox cart in the river.
The panels around the central
door leading from the entrance hall into the station proper represent four work
scenes from everyday life: the vineyards (top left), the harvest (top right),
the shipment of wine down the Douro (bottom left), and work in a watermill
(bottom right).
10:06 AM (Cropped) – Porto: Estação de São Bento
- top panel seems to depict a bucolic scene of the 19th century with women
harvesting fruit [grapes and possibly figs from tree?].
Porto: Estação de São Bento - lower panel shows boats on Douro, one ready to
load a barrel of Port wine from an ox cart in the river
10:06 AM – Porto: Estação de São Bento – top
panel depicts [wheat?] harvest; lower panel shows a mill and ox cart in river.
10:06 AM (Cropped) – Porto: Estação de São Bento
– top panel depicts [wheat?] harvest; at the right in the foreground is a woman
nursing her baby.
Porto: Estação de São Bento – lower panel shows a mill and ox cart in Douro
river
10:08 AM – Porto: Estação de São Bento – large
panel at top and two smaller panels around bottom of doorway.
The panel at the top shows, in
great detail, the Feira de of São Torcato
(Fair of St. Torquatus) in the concelho
(municipality) of Guimarães. The predominantly rural village of São Torcato is
situated on the left bank of the Selho River to the northeast of Porto, closer
to Braga. The construction of the Santuário de São Torcato (Sanctuary of St.
Torquatus) began in 1871, a granite building with elements of Gothic,
Romanesque, and Neoclassical styles. Inside the church is the incorrupt body of
São Torcato, one of the first evangelizers of the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th
century. The future saint was born in Toledo (Spain) in the 7th century and
later became the Bishop of Braga. According to tradition, he and 27 companions
were killed on May 15, 715, exactly at the location of the village that now
bears his name, when they arrived for a meeting with the commander of Muslim forces
who were attacking villages of Guimarães. Later, a sign from the sky revealed
the location of his body and, when the body was retrieved, a fountain sprang
forth that produced cures for religious pilgrims.
The village of São Torcato is
rich in folklore and known for its festivals.
The first festival of the year is
the Feira do 27 (Fair of the 27),
held on February 27 (a holiday in the village). The origin of this festival is
unknown, but it is known that there were festivities in ancient times. These celebrations
bring thousands of strangers to São Torcato, and the program usually includes
the blessing of animals, a fair, and a livestock contest.
On May 15 is the Pequenha Romaria (Small Pilgrimage). This one consists of a pilgrimage to
the chapel on the site where the saint’s body was found. Alter the Mass, there
is a camp with songs and folk dances. It is also customary to drink water from
the fountain of the saint as a cure for certain maladies.
However, one of the best known
traditions is the Grande Romaria de São
Torcato (Great Pilgrimage of São Torcato). Since 1852, is has been held on
the first Sunday of July and is one of the biggest and most popular pilgrimages
of the Minho region. Surrounding are festivities lasting four days, Thursday
through Sunday. On that Sunday, after Mass in the Sanctuary, there is a grand
procession in honor of St. Torquatus, which is made up of floats, costumes, and
other andores (platforms). The floats
(only two) are a unique tradition at the national level. They are adorned with
satin and carry small groups of girls who sing songs allusive to the saint.
Other than that, many pilgrims
pass the village, including those following the medieval routes of the Caminho
de Santiago.
The azulejo panel shows a
multitude of people in a rich composition. In the foreground at the left is a
group of men and women, some seated on the ground and others at a table, with
the few who are awake greeting the passage of the retinue and others sleeping
on the table and on the ground, possibly drunk. At the right is the passing retinue,
with a group of people in typical folk costumes, who are singing, dancing, and
clapping to the music of harmonicas and guitars. Following the retinue, on the
street behind them, is a horse-drawn wagon carrying more people.
Porto: Estação de São Bento – panel depicting Fair of St. Torquatus, including people
drinking wine and sleeping (left) and folk dancing and horse-drawn coach with
revelers in the street decorated with banners on striped poles (right)
The two lower panels show
pictures of a cattle market and a pilgrim camp.
Porto: Estação de São Bento – panel depicting cattle market
Porto: Estação de São Bento – panel depicting pilgrim camp; the horse-drawn coach
and banners on striped poles in the background seem to be the same as in the
panel depicting the Fair of St. Torquatus
10:08 AM – Porto: Estação de São Bento – top
panel in this group depicts a religious procession.
The panel at the top depicts the
procession of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
(Our Lady of Remedies) in Lamego, an exhaustive and detailed composition
showing the multitudes in an urban setting.
In the 12th century, according to
tradition, priests were trying to ransom captives (of the Muslims?) but had no
money until the Virgin Mary appeared to them and handed over a bag of money, as
the “remedy” to the serious situation. In honor of Our Lady of the Remedies,
many chapels sprang up with her image, the most celebrated one in Lamego. It is
well known throughout Portugal, and many thousands come to revere her image
there.
What stands out in this panel is
that the andor (platform) with the
sacred image that is normally carried in processions by the faithful, is being
drawn by a yoke of oxen. (In 1952, a Papal Bull officially authorized the use
of oxen in this procession, and today Lamego is still the only place in the
Catholic world where an image of the Virgin is transported by animals. This
occurs on September 8 each year, during the Festa de Nossa Senhora dos
Remédios.) The oxen are led by women. In the foreground at the left is a group
of “little angels,” children dressed in white, leading the procession. In front
of the sacred image on the andor,
there are four more “little angels.” Beside the andor and following the procession are several church members and
believers, dressed in robes appropriate for these occasions. On the right side
of the panel is a group of people, some of whom are too old to walk in the
procession, where the figure of an elderly man standing with a staff stands
out. On the left side is a group of children hanging on the bars of a property
to watch the procession pass through the streets of Lamego.
10:08 AM (Cropped) – Porto: Estação de São Bento
– panel depicting religious procession of Feast of Our Lady of Remedies.
One of the two panels under this
composition represents two women fulfilling their “promise” on their knees and,
the other, women waiting with water jugs at the “miraculous” fountain.
MT 10:16 AM – Porto: Estação de São Bento – panel
of women fulfilling their “promise” on their knees.
Porto: Estação de São Bento – panel depicting women waiting with water jugs at
a fountain
Leaving
the railway station, we went to the nearby Igreja
dos Congregados, which we had also seen the day before.
10:11 AM – Porto: Igreja dos Congregados –
façade with azulejos.
The Igreja dos Congregados (Church of the Congregates) is located on
the Praça de Almeida Garret in the old city area of Porto just north of the São
Bento station, in the freguesia
(civil parish) of Santo Ildefonso. The church was built between 1694 and 1703
in a place where there had been a small chapel dedicated to São António (St.
Anthony). That chapel, built from 1662 to 1680, was intended to be the
headquarters of the Confraria de Santo António de Lisboa (Brotherhood of St.
Anthony of Lisbon, better known as St. Anthony of Padua), but the brotherhood
never came to settle there. In 1694, the decision was made to demolish the
chapel, which had become too small for the crowd of faithful who constantly
flocked to it, and build a larger church and a convento (monastery). The new church is also dedicated to St.
Anthony and thus is also known as the Igreja de Santo António dos Congregados
(Church of St. Anthony of the Congregates). The new church was annexed to the
Convento da Congregação do Oratório (Monastery of the Congregation of the
Oratory).*
The 17th-century façade, although sober compared to
other churches in Porto, reveals some Baroque influences and is divided into
two floors. The first floor has the main portal formed by an arch based on
pilasters topped by pyramids with balls. Above that portal is a curved
pediment, in the center of which is a crowned shield with a Marian monogram (M
for Mary). Flanking the portal are two barred windows. The upper floor, with
Tuscan pilasters, has three large windows framed by cartouches; the window in
the center has a triangular gable, and the other two are topped by curved
gables. Above that floor is a triangular pediment forming the gable of the
church, topped by a Latin cross; its tympanum contains a statue of St. Anthony
in a niche near the top. The blue and white azulejo
tiles on the upper floor and the tympanum of the façade were made in the early
20th century by Jorge Colaço and depict scenes from the life of St. Anthony and
Eucharistic symbols.
10:11 AM (Cropped) – Porto: Igreja dos Congregados – upper part of
façade with azulejos depicting scenes
from the life of St. Anthony and a statue of him in a niche of the pediment.
The interior consists of a single nave. The gilt carving of the 17th-century collateral altars in the apse is work of the transition from the full Baroque to the “Rocaille” style. However, the main chapel (chancel) was rebuilt in the 19th century in Neoclassical style. The niches for altars in the side walls of the nave are also Neoclassical.
The church originally had an
imposing tower on its west side. The abolishing of religious orders in 1834 led
to the sale of the convento
(monastery); the tower and sacristy were sold to a local merchant who demolished
them and sold all the stone. During the Siege of Porto between 1832 and 1835,
the church was used as a hospital and also to store military equipment. In
1836, however, the church was given to Brotherhood of St. Anthony of Lisbon,
and shortly thereafter it was re-consecrated. Restoration work on the church
was conducted in the 19th century. However, the convento itself disappeared almost completely. Also, the level of
the pavement of the square varied over the years, causing the original stairs
(7 or 8) in front of the main portal to disappear.
*The Congregação do Oratório (Congregation of the Oratory) is officially
known as Congregação de São Filipe Nery dos Clérigos Reformados do Oratório
(Congregation of St. Philip Neri of the Reformed Clerics of the Oratory). The
Congregation was founded in Rome in 1565 by St. Philip Néri, who had built an
oratory there.
10:12 AM – Porto: view from Igreja dos Congregados
south on Praça de Almeida Garrett past Estação de São Bento (on left) toward
Cathedral on hill.
10:24 AM – Porto: view from just west of Igreja
dos Congregados northward to statue of King Pedro IV in Praça da Liberdade and
up Avenida dos Aliados toward City Hall at north end of the Avenida.
From
the Igreja dos Congregados, we continued west toward the Igreja e Torre dos Clérigos (Church and Tower of the Clerics),
which we had also seen the day before (see notes there).
10:25 AM – Porto: view from Praça da Liberdade
toward Igreja e Torre dos Clérigos at end of Rua dos Clérigos (telephoto 90
mm).
10:28 AM – Porto: Igreja dos Clérigos – façade
with stairs.
10:28 AM – Porto: Igreja dos Clérigos façade and
north side of octagonal nave (behind façade on left), Casa da Irmandade (House
of the Brotherhood) in center with more windows, and Torre dos Clérigos (right).
Then
we turned northwest toward the twin churches Igreja do Carmo and Igreja dos
Carmelitas.
10:32 AM – Porto: approaching Igreja dos
Carmelitas (left) and Igreja do Carmo (right); in right foreground is fountain
in Praça de Gomes Teixeira.
10:33 AM – Porto: Igreja dos Carmelitas (left)
and Igreja do Carmo (right) with azulejo
tiles on side.
At the corner of Praça de Carlos
Alberto and Rua do Carmo in the historic part of Porto is what at first glance looks
like a very large church. However, it is actually a combination of two
buildings: one dating from the 1600s and the other from the 1700s. The Igreja do Carmo and the Igreja dos Carmelitas are separated by
a very narrow (1-m wide) house that was inhabited until the 1980s. The house
was built so that the two churches would not share a common wall and to prevent
any relations between the nuns of Igreja dos Carmelitas and the monks of Igreja
do Carmo.*
*The www.porto-tourism.com web site says (in
English): “the Carmelite Church was built in the 17th century. and, as the name
suggests, it was populated by the Carmelite order of nuns”; it also says, at
the end of the paragraph about the Carmo Church: “The monastery was built in
order to be populated [by] monks”; and then says: “The reason of placing a
house between the two religious edifices was to make sure there was no communication
of the worldly kind between the nuns of the Carmelite Church and the monks of
the Carmo Church, as well as the fact [that] a certain unwritten law stated
that no two churches should share a wall in common.” The www.gooporto.com web site (in
English) says similarly: “The house that separates the two churches … was built
due to a law that stated that no two churches could share a wall, while also
ensuring chastity between the monks of Carmo and the nuns of Carmelitas.” Many
other web sites state more simply: “to separate monks and nuns.” However, various
sources disagree regarding which church was for monks and which was for nuns;
one possibility is that both were (originally or only) occupied by monks. A
problem is that the noun Carmelitas
in Portuguese, while appearing feminine in form, can be either masculine or
feminine. Besides that, the Portuguese convento
can mean either convent (for nuns) or monastery (for monks).
The official web site www.carmelitas.pt for the Carmelite
Order in Portugal has tabs for both Frades e Padres Carmelitas Descalços (Discalced
Carmelite Friars and Priests), with the masculine ending on the adjective Descalços, and Irmãs Carmelitas Descalças
(Discalced Carmelite Sisters), with the feminine ending on the adjective Descalças. It has a tab for Padres in
Porto, but not Irmãs. The tab for Padres in Porto says (in Portuguese) that the
first stone for the “convento do Carmo” was laid in 1619. The convento was partially occupied by the religiosos (male religious) in 1622, and
the church was inaugurated in 1628. It says this convento was designed for religiosos
professos (professed male religious).
Both
churches were open, and there was no admission charge.
10:34 AM – Porto: facades of Igreja dos
Carmelitas (left) and Igreja do Carmo (right), with 1-meter-wide house in
between.
We
first visited the Igreja do Carmo.
The Igreja do Carmo has a combination of Baroque and Rococo styles. The
church was built between 1756 and 1768 for monks of the Third Order of Carmel.
The full name of the church is Igreja da Venerável Ordem Terceira de Nossa
Senhora do Carmo (Church of the Venerable Third Order of Our Lady of Carmel).
It is also known as Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo (Church of Our
Lady of Mount Carmel) or Igreja dos Terceiros do Carmo (Church of the Third
Order of Carmel).
Porto: Igreja do Carmo –
façade
The main façade is exemplary of the full Baroque style. It features, in a central niche a statue of Santa Ana (St. Ann), to whom the Carmelites had great devotion because she is said to have appeared to a group of Carmelites in ancient times. Two niches to the sides of the entrance hold images of the prophets Elijah and Elisha, who served as models for the Order. In the upper body of the façade is a tympanum with the coat of arms of the Order. The tympanum is flanked by pinnacles and topped with sculptures of the four Evangelists, revealing influences of the “Italian Baroque” style created by Nicolau Nasoni. (This church was built by José de Figueiredo Seixas, a disciple of Nasoni.)
The side façade is covered with a large panel of azulejo tiles depicting scenes alluding to Mount Carmel and the
foundation of the Carmelite Order. The tiles, dated 1912, were designed by
Silvestre Silvestri, painted by Carlos Branco, and made locally in Vila Nova de
Gaia.
The interior of the church also is typically Baroque. There are
excellent gilded carvings, by the greatest Portuguese master carvers of the
time, in the side chapels and the main altar, as well as statuary and several fine
oil paintings. There is also an iconographic program related to the Passion of
Christ, one of the characteristic themes of the Carmelites. In this case, the images
are arranged in descending order from the Epistle (right) side: Prison of the
Lord, Flagellation, Lord of the Green Cane, Ecce Homo, Lord on the Path to
Calvary. It concludes with the Crucifixion (cross of the main altar) and with
the painting of the Resurrected Christ on the vaulted ceiling of the main
chapel (chancel).
10:35 AM – Porto: Igreja do Carmo - azulejo tiles on side.
10:35 AM – Porto: Igreja do Carmo – close-up of
main panel of azulejo tiles on side.
10:37 AM – Porto: Igreja do Carmo – view from
rear of nave to main altar in apse, with gilded pulpits on each side of nave.
MT 10:44 AM – Porto: Igreja do Carmo – statue
of Virgin and Child, standing on a globe with cherub heads; the Virgin holds
two scapulars in her right hand, and there is another scapular around the necks
of two children on the small statue in front of the base of the main statue.
10:38 AM – Porto: Igreja do Carmo – main chapel
(chancel) with main altar and painting of Resurrection on vaulted ceiling above
it.
10:39 AM – Porto: Igreja do Carmo – wood-carved
choir stalls on sides of main chapel (chancel).
10:38 AM – Porto: Igreja do Carmo – side altar
at right front of nave, with Agony in the Garden in main niche.
10:39 AM – Porto: Igreja do Carmo – side altar
at left front of nave, with Our Lady of Fátima (left) and two (of three)
children to whom she appeared kneeling below; St. Anthony (right), and Christ
as Lord of the Green Cane in main niche.
Reference to this image of Christ
as Ecce Homo comes from the Latin words, meaning “Behold the Man,” that Pontius
Pilate would have said when presenting the scourged Jesus to the Jews. This
image of Christ is known in Portugal as Senhor
da Cana Verde (Lord of the Green Cane). The image comes for the Gospel
accounts of the Passion, in which the Roman soldiers, after scourging Jesus,
strip him of his clothes, put a red robe on him, put a crown of thorns on his
head, and place a rod (or reed) in his right hand symbolizing a scepter. Portuguese
iconography shows the symbolized scepter as a piece of green cane. Devotion to
this image is sometimes associated with agricultural communities with sugar
cane asking for blessings for their harvests. Particularly in northern
Portugal, this image is carried in processions on Maundy Thursday (Holy
Thursday) during the week before Easter.
MT
went into the sacristy of the Igreja do Carmo to get carimbo stamps, which filled the first of our two credencial books. The lady there told
her that a mass would start in 5 minutes (11 am), so we stayed. The same lady
read the first scripture reading and the psalm and was also an altar server.
This was actually a small, narrow church, with only a single nave, and there
were only a few people for the mass. The priest skipped the homily, and the
mass was over by 11:15.
Porto: carimbo stamp from “Igreja do Carmo – Porto” with coat of arms in
center.
Then
we went next door to the Igreja dos
Carmelitas.
11:16 AM – Porto: narrow building separating
Igreja dos Carmelitas (left) from Igreja do Carmo (right).
The Igreja dos Carmelitas (Church of the Carmelites) or Igreja dos
Carmelitas Descalços (Church of the Discalced Carmelites) combines elements of
Mannerist and Baroque styles.
Porto: Igreja dos
Carmelitas – bell tower and façade
The simple, austere granite façade is in the Mannerist style (which some would call Classical or Neoclassical). It has three entrance doors with curved arches separated by Doric pilasters. Above each of these doors is a niche with a statue: St. Joseph (left) [other sources say Santo Domingos (St. Dominic)], St. Teresa of Jesus (aka St. Teresa of Ávila, right), and Nossa Senhora do Carmo (Our Lady of Carmel) in the center. The upper body of the façade contains three windows, also separated by pilasters; the central one is rectangular, and the two on the sides are in the shape of a rectangular trapezoid (with one slightly curved side at the top). At the top of the façade, a triangular pediment, bearing the coat of arms of the religious order under a royal crown, is surmounted by pinnacles and a cross.
There is a single, three-story bell tower on the left side, with the
upper story covered with blue and white azulejo
tiles and topped by a bulbous dome.
Construction of the Igreja dos
Carmelitas began to be built in 1619 and was completed in 1628. The decoration
of the interior was not finished until 1650. The church belonged to the
now-defunct Convento dos Carmelitas Descalços (Monastery of the Discalced
Carmelites), which is now occupied by the Republican National Guard. The church
was used as a military barracks during the French invasion of Porto
(1808-1814). The church and former monastery were classified as a National
Monument in 2013.
The official web site www.carmelitas.pt for the
Carmelite Order in Portugal has tabs for both Frades e Padres Carmelitas
Descalços (Discalced Carmelite Friars and Priests), with the masculine ending
on the adjective Descalços, and Irmãs
Carmelitas Descalças (Discalced Carmelite Sisters), with the feminine ending on
the adjective Descalças. It has a tab
for Padres in Porto, but not Irmãs. The tab for Padres in Porto provides the
following historical background (in Portuguese): It says that the Order
approved the foundation of this “convento do Carmo” in January 1617 and sent
two priests to Porto, where they obtained the approval of the Bishop that same
month, and the first stone was laid in 1619. The convento was partially occupied by the religiosos (male religious) in 1622, and the church was inaugurated
in 1628. It says this convento was
designed for religiosos professos
(professed male religious). In 1883, the 11 religiosos
still living there were sent to another convento
in Lisbon, and the northern part of the building was ceded to the Venerável
Ordem Terceira do Carmo (Venerable Third Order of Carmel), to expand their
hospital. In 1834, the west side was destined for military uses; this part is
currently occupied by the Republican National Guard. In 1936, Carmelite priests
returned to Porto, where they served as chaplains for two groups on religious
sisters. They also attended the Irmãos da Venerável Ordem Terceira do Carmo
(Brothers of the Venerable Third Order of Carmel) of Porto (Igreja do Carmo),
who had shown so much interest in the return of the Order to the city, in the
hope that they could settle in the old Igreja dos Carmelitas, annexed to their
sodality (lay brotherhood*). In 1986, the Order opened a new convento near the Atlantic coast on the
west side of Porto.
*The Venerável Ordem Terceira do
Carmo (Venerable Third Order of Carmel) is composed mostly of laymen and
laywomen who are spiritually connected to other members of the Carmelite Order
(the contemplative friars and the cloistered nuns). This lay group of the Third
Order also exists within the Discalced (Barefoot) Carmelites.
11:14 AM – Porto: Igreja dos Carmelitas – view
from rear of nave to main altar in apse, with 6 side chapels embedded in gilded
arches.
Compared to the sober outside,
the interior is lushly decorated in
Baroque and Rococo style. It is in the shape of a Latin cross, with a single
nave, six side chapels embedded in arches, and a narthex at the entrance. What
stands out are the excellent gilded carvings, of Baroque and Rococo style, in
the side chapels and the main altar. The main altarpiece, in the Porto Rococo
style, was considered a revolutionary style when completed in 1622. The vaulted
white ceiling decorated with gilded carving uses Baroque architectural elements
with a most beautiful effect and offers a special light to the church, aided by
large windows. The recently restored organ is a work of great beauty. On the
side walls are several 17th-century paintings.
As
we headed south from there, we stopped at a café near the Praça da Cordoaria for 2 bottles of water (€1 each) and to use the banho.
11:37 AM – Porto: trolley car near where we got
water.
11:44 AM – Porto: Praça da Cordoaria- MT pointing
to statues of laughing men on benches; Palácio da Justiça across street in
background.
MT 11:53 AM – Porto: Praça da Cordoaria- Don sitting
with statues of laughing men on benches.
Across
the street on the west side of the Praça da Cordoaria was the Palácio da Justiça,
11:51 AM – Porto: east side of “Domus Justitia”
(House of Justice) with statue of Justitia (Justice).
The Palácio da Justiça (Palace of Justice), built between 1958 and
1961, now houses the Tribunal de Relação (Court of Appeals) of Porto.
Architecturally, the building is an example of highly stylized Neoclassicism.
The classical Latin inscription on the side of the building reads “Domus
Justitia” (House of Justice).
Continuing
south, we came to the Igreja das Almas
de São José das Taipas.
11:52 AM – Porto: Igreja das Almas de São José
das Taipas – bell tower and façade.
The Igreja das Almas de São José das Taipas (Church of the Souls of St.
Joseph of the Partitions) was built on the site of an older Capela das Taipas
(Chapel of the Partitions) on this site, a private family chapel dating from 1666,
from which came several objects in the interior of the present church. The name
of the old chapel and the new church comes from the fact that, in the 16th
century, entaipamentos (partitions)
were made in this area in order to control the black plague by isolating those
who were sick. In 1755, all the images of the Igreja Paroquial de Nossa Senhora
da Vitória (Parish Church of Our Lady of Victory), which was greatly degraded,
were transferred to the Capela das Taipas. Construction of the new church was
begun in 1795, in a Neoclassical style, and it was consecrated in 1818,
although it was not completed until 1878. Delays in construction led to the
addition of other elements to the original project, particularly in the main
altarpiece and the sacristy. The addition of “das Almas” to the name of the
church is a reference to the souls of those who perished in the tragedy of the Ponte
das Barcas (Bridge of the Boats), on March 29, 1809, when the makeshift bridge
made by lashing boats together had collapsed killing hundreds of residents
fleeing Porto during the French invasion. The architect Carlos Amarante, who
built this church, was also responsible for building the Ponte das Barcas.
Every year until 1909, the anniversary of this disaster was marked with a
procession that left the church and went to the Alminhas da Ponte (Little Souls
of the Bridge), a bronze relief mural on the wall of Porto’s Ribeira
(Riverfront) district.
Porto: bronze mural of
Alminhas da Ponte on waterfront
The church is administered by the Irmandade das Almas de São José das Taipas (Brotherhood of the Souls of St. Joseph of the Partitions), created in 1780 and designated in 1810 to pray for the souls of those that perished in the disaster of the Ponte das Barcas, some of whose bodies are buried here. The Venerábel Irmandade de São José das Taipas (Venerable Brotherhood of St. Joseph of the Partitions) was founded in 1633, with its headquarters in a house on Rua das Taipas; it moved to the Capela das Taipas in 1666, and later to the present church. The delays in construction of the new church were due to a lack of resources of the Brotherhood, as well as burning political and social events that marked the 19th century.
The church is in an elegant
Italian-classical style with a very simple façade.
The door in the façade is adorned at the top with a curved pediment and has a
large window above it, also with a curved pediment. At the top of the façade is
a triangular pediment with an oculus (round window) and a garland.
The quadrangular tower, slightly recessed, is located on
the left side and has a door at its base with a barred window above it. On the
second floor is another window, and above that are four bell-windows topped by
a pyramidal dome surmounted by an iron cross. The top two floors of the tower
are covered with azulejo tiles.
The interior of the church consists of a single nave, covered by a
cradle vault, with very simple stuccos, along which a balcony with iron
railings runs, In addition to the main altar, there are four side altars. In
the main chapel (chancel), also cradle-vaulted and adorned with stuccos, is the
19th-century Neoclassical altarpiece with statues of St. Joseph and St. Nicolas
Tolentino flanking a painting of the Virgin and Child representing Nossa
Senhora das Almas (Our Lady of the Souls). The chancel is separated from the
nave by an archway topped with a gilded medallion. One thing that stands out in
the interior is a painting, dated 1845, that represents the tragedy of the Ponte
das Barcas. (A photo of that painting can be found at http://recursos.visitporto.travel/pois/1248_5.jpg.)
11:53 AM – Porto: Igreja das Almas de São José
das Taipas – view from rear of nave to main altar in apse, showing more
of gilded archway and balconies with iron railings on both sides of nave.
11:54 AM – Porto: Igreja das Almas de São José
das Taipas – main chapel (chancel) with main altar and choir stalls in apse.
Then
we came to the Igreja de São Nicolau
in the Ribeira district. (This was the church with pinnacles that we had seen at
a distance the previous day from the Farol Boa Nova restaurant and from across
the Douro.)
12:20 PM – Porto: Igreja de São Nicolau –
façade.
The Freguesia de São Nicolau (Civil
Parish of St. Nicholas) was one of the four freguesias
(civil parishes) into which the Freguesia da Santa María da Sé (Civil Parish of
St. Mary of the Cathedral), previously the only parish in Porto, was divided at
the end of the 16th century. Initially, religious services in this part of the
city had been conducted in a small medieval hermitage from the 13th century,
but the new parish of São Nicolau needed a larger space, and the hermitage was
demolished to make room for the Igreja
de São Nicolau (Church of St. Nicholas), built in 1671. After the church
suffered a fire in 1758, its reconstruction, completed in 1762, was in a
mixture of Neoclassical and Baroque styles.
At the top of the façade is a pediment with a niche
holding the limestone statue of the patron saint. In 1861, the façade was
covered with blue and white azulejo
tiles.
The interior consists of a single nave, covered by a brick vault. The
main altarpiece is gilded wood in the Rococo style.
Backtracking
a bit uphill to the north, we came to the Igreja
de São Francisco, at the top of an elaborate staircase. The man at the door of the church said we could not visit the inside of the church, which was now deconsecrated,
without paying €3 each for tickets to tour the whole museum complex, starting at the nearby Casa do Despacho. So we decided
not to go inside.
Porto: Igreja de São Francisco – approaching Igreja de São Francisco complex:
centered on the staircase is the south side of Igreja de São Francisco, with
that church’s west façade at the left; just to the left of that façade is
probably the south entrance of Palácio da Bolsa with bell tower, and to the
left of that is the façade of Igreja da Venerábel Ordem Terceira de São
Francisco
12:23 PM – Porto: Igreja de São Francisco –
Igreja da Venerábel Ordem Terceira de São Francisco façade at left at top of
stairs; south entrance of Palácio da Bolsa with bell tower; and south side of
Igreja de São Francisco at right.
The Museu da Venerável Ordem Terceira de São Francisco (Museum of the
Venerable Third Order of St. Francis) consists of the deconsecrated Igreja de
São Francisco (Church of St. Francis, now designated as a Church-Museum), the Igreja da Venerábel Ordem
Terceira de São Francisco (Church of the Venerable Third Order of St. Francis),
and the Casa do Despacho (Dispatch House) of the Order, along with the
Catacombs.
The Igreja de São Francisco (Church of St. Francis), also known as Igreja
dos Terceiros de São Francisco do Porto (Church of the Third Order of St.
Francis of Porto) or Igreja da Ordem de São Francisco (Church of the Order of
St. Francis) is the most prominent Gothic monument in Porto, but is also noted
for its outstanding Baroque interior decoration. Around 1244, the Franciscans
began building a convent and a first, small church dedicated to St. Francis of
Assisi. In 1383, they began to build a more spacious church, which was finished
around 1410 (or 1425). This new structure had a relatively plain Gothic design,
typical for the mendicant orders in Portugal. In included cloisters for the
Franciscan monks. The general structure of the church has not changed over the
years, making it the best example of Gothic architecture in Porto. However, the
main artistic alterations were carried out in the first half of the 18th
century, when most of the interior surfaces were covered with Portuguese gilt
wood work in Baroque style; the Baroque main portal is also from that period. With
the extinction of religious orders in Portugal in 1834, the church served as a
customs warehouse until 1839. The church was classified as a National Monument
in 1910 and as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.
Porto: Igreja de São
Francisco – Baroque main portal and Gothic rose window of main (west) façade; south
entrance of Palácio da Bolsa in different style at left, with coat of arms (of
Third Order of St. Francis) above window
The main façade has a huge, elaborate rose window in Gothic style. This is the only original decoration of the main (west) façade. The west portal is now a typical Baroque work, organized in two tiers, with Solomonic columns and a statue of St. Francis.
12:23 PM – Porto: bell tower and façade of unidentified building (at
left) and south side of Igreja de São Francisco, with south portal.
12:23 PM (Cropped) – Porto: Igreja de São Francisco- detail of south
portal.
The south portal, facing the river, is still Gothic. It stands out from the façade and has a triangular gable decorated with a pentagram. The door has a series of Gothic archivolts; the inner molding is decorated with an arcade relief of Mudéjar (Islamic influenced) design.
12:23 PM – Porto: Igreja de São
Francisco – south side, with south portal, and transept at east end.
Porto: Igreja de São Francisco – Gothic apse at east end and
gable with small rose window
The east end of the church has a transept and a Gothic apse supported by buttresses, as well as a small rose window with tracery in the shape of a pentagram in a gable at the end of the central nave.
Porto: Igreja de São
Francisco – view from rear of nave to main altar in apse
The interior has three naves, with the central nave being the highest. In the early 18th century, the lateral naves and the three chapels in the apse were extensively decorated with exuberant gilt wood work in Baroque style by several Portuguese wood carvers. This decorative richness is the most notable feature of the church, covering almost completely the ceilings of the aisles, pillars, window frames, and chapels and hiding the underlying medieval Gothic architecture. Even though the Baroque gilt work does not completely harmonize with the Gothic structure of the church, it is considered one of the most outstanding in Portugal. The Baroque altarpieces are also among the best in Portugal. The main altarpiece, in the Capela de Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Chapel of Our Lady of the Conception), was reconstructed between 1718 and 1721 based on a preexisting one. The eight altars were covered with more than 100 kg of gold leaf. One reason the church was deconsecrated may have been that the Franciscan friars, with their vow of poverty, were embarrassed by the opulence.
A fire in 1833, caused by the
Siege of Porto, destroyed the old cloisters
and convent attached to the church, and the space was used to build the Palácio da Bolsa (Palace of the Stock
Exchange), an example of 19th-century Neoclassical architecture. It was built
to impress European business people with its extravagant décor and encourage
them to invest in Portugal. The building served as a major Portuguese stock
exchange before its activities merged with the Lisbon stock exchange in the
1990s.
Porto: view from front of
Cathedral with Palácio da Bolsa in center; apse of Igreja de São Francisco
immediately to its left; at lower right is the red iron Mercado Ferreira Borges
which, like the Palácio da Bolsa, faces the Praça do Infante Henrique; across
the Douro River in background is Graham’s port wine lodge in Vila Nova da Gaia
12:27 PM – Porto: a bit of Casa do Despacho in
lower left corner; façade of Igreja da Venerábel Ordem Terceira de São
Francisco (left); bell tower and façade of a building of different style, with
“Bolsa” (Stock Market or Stock Exchange) on wrought iron gate of portal in
center of its façade.
The courtyard in front of the main
(west) façade of the Igreja de São Francisco is bordered on two other sides by
interesting monuments: on the north side is the Igreja da Venerábel Ordem Terceira
de São Francisco (Church of the Venerable Third Order of St. Francis), and on
the west side is the Casa do Despacho da Ordem Terceira de São Francisco (Dispatch
House of the Third Order of St. Francis). This leaves one building on the
courtyard unidentified.
Porto: a bit of Casa do
Despacho at left; Wikimedia Commons identifies the other three buildings as "Igreja
dos Terceiros de São Francisco" (left); “Palácio da Bolsa” (center), and “Igreja
de São Francisco” (right)
Between Igreja de São Francisco and Igreja da Venerábel Ordem Terceira de São Francisco on north side of the courtyard is a building, in a different style than either church. Online photos of this building are often identified as “Palácio da Bolsa” (including repeatedly in Wikimedia Commons), although the Palace of the Stock Exchange is actually a much larger building in Neoclassical style located behind the two churches. Sometimes, photo captions say “Igreja de São Francisco,” indicating that this structure is part of that church. However, Wikimedia Commons also has a group of photos of this building, which it labels in Portuguese as “Entrada sul do Palácio da Bolsa com a torre sineira” and in English as “South entrance of the Stock Exchange Palace with bell tower.” That seems to be a more correct identification.
Porto: South entrance of
Palácio da Bolsa, with Igreja da Venerábel Ordem Terceira de São Francisco to
its left and overlapping with the west façade of Igreja de São Francisco at
right
Indeed, the word “Bolsa” (meaning Stock Market or Stock Exchange, or perhaps just Purse) does appear on the wrought iron gate of portal in the center of this building. However, the building has the appearance of a church with a Baroque bell tower, and over a window above that central portal it has same coat of arms (of the Third Order of St. Francis) as above the doors of the Igreja da Venerábel Ordem Terceira de São Francisco and the Casa do Despacho, topped with the arm of Christ crossed with that of St. Francis and with a cross (the universal symbol of the Franciscans). Due to its location, this building might appear to be an integral part of the Museu da Venerável Ordem Terceira de São Francisco complex.
(In an authoritative study of Igreja
da Venerábel Ordem Terceira de São Francisco by the expert Ferreira-Alves is an
engraving from 1736 showing, between that church and the Igreja de São
Francisco, a four-story building with what looks like a portal on ground floor
and pairs of windows on the upper three, and topped by a gabeled roof rather
than a bell tower. The author says this figure shows the side and façade of the
chapel of the Third Order, along with structures corresponding to the sacristy,
house of dispatch, and hospital. The façade of the chapel of the Third Order,
with tall pinnacles on its corners, lacks the decoration of the current façade.
His study also has another engraving, dated 1791, that shows the same façade of
the chapel but next to it the current bulding with its bell tower starting
about even with the bottom of the typanum of the chapel’s façade. This would
seem to indicate that the building between the churches was either built or
rebuilt and received a new façade and bell tower sometime between 1736 and 1791.
Another source
describes the façade of the chapel as being “entre o edifício da Bolsa e a casa
da confraria” (between the building of the Stock Exchange and the house of the
brotherhood).
12:27 PM (Cropped) – Porto: detail of façade of
unidentified building between Igreja de São Francisco and Igreja da Venerábel
Ordem Terceira de São Francisco with same coat of arms (of the Third Order of
St. Francis) as above the doors of the Igreja da Venerábel Ordem Terceira de
São Francisco and the Casa do Despacho (see photos below), topped with the arm
of Christ crossed with that of St. Francis and with a cross.
Facing south on the north side of the courtyard
in front of the Igreja de São Francisco is the Igreja da Venerável Ordem Terceira de São Francisco (Church of the
Venerable Third Order of St. Francis). According to Wikipedia and other
sources, construction of this church, the first in Porto in the Neoclassical
style, began in 1692; however, the historical marker sign outside this building
(see photo below) says the church was begun in 1795, while repeating that it
was Porto’s first Neoclassical church. Several sources call it an “18th-century
Neoclassical” church. The following is an attempt to establish the correct
chronology. Most helpful in this effort was Joachim Jaime B. Ferreira-Alves, “Elementos
para o Estudo da Arquitectura das Duas Primeiras Capelas da Venerával Ordem
Terceira de São Francisco do Porto” [Elements for the Study of the First Two
Chapels of the Venerable Third Order of São Francisco do Porto], Revista da Faculdade de Letras, 2003, which
is based on extensive research of historical documents, including the archives
of the Order; it can be found at http://ler.letras.up.pt/uploads/ficheiros/2923.pdf.
The Venerável
Ordem Terceira de São Francisco (Venerable Third Order of St. Francis) had
been founded in 1633. Members of the Order first had to worship, from 1633 to
1639, in the Capela de Santa Isabel (Chapel of St. Isabel), which was in the
cloister of the Convento de São Francisco do Porto (Monastery of St. Francis of
Porto). In 1639, they changed the location to the Capela de São António (Chapel
of St. Anthony), also in that cloister. The process of having their own space
for worship began in 1638-39. For this, they contracted the master stone mason
and architect Valentim Carvalho, who was one of the most important builders of
Porto in the first half of the 17th century. However, from 1639 to 1653 they
continued to make improvements to the Capela de Santa Isabel.
Although the members of the Order described
the Capela de Santa Isabel as a structure “adorned with much tidiness and
perfection,” they complained that it the lacked the space for the “great
number” of Brothers. So, already in 1646, they had built another independent
chapel outside the cloisters of the Convento, in the same place where their
church now stands, and they began to refer to the Capela de Santa Isabel as the
“capela velha” (old chapel). However, documents show that the Terceiros soon
regarded their new chapel, like the Capela de Santa Isabel, as too limited and
short of space for the many functions of the Third Order and “the large number
of brothers,” and they decided to build a new “more comfortable and more
expedient” one, which they called a “nueba Iglesia y Capilla” (new Church and
Chapel). The first stone was laid by the bishop on May 17, 1675, but the work
actually began in 1676, and the “new chapel” was finished in 1690-91, with the
completion of the façade—although the main chapel (chancel) was added in 1711.
This building was considered the “very first large” Capela da Venerável Ordem
Terceira de São Francisco. Indeed, this chapel was not so small; aside from the
main altar, it has four side altars. Engravings from 1736, 1789, and 1791 show
a facade quite different from the one we see today, with pinnacles on its top
corners (rather than statues), two windows (rather than three) on the second
floor, and an oculus (round window) in the pediment (rather than the coat of
arms of the Order).
Eventually, the need for renovation work
on the 17th-century chapel became so urgent, mainly after the main chapel
(chancel) and the sacristy were ruined in January 1792, that it led to the
option of building a new chapel, in Neoclassical style, which would begin in
1794 and conclude in 1805. Construction was under an Italian architect, which
explains the influence of the classic Italian style. This was indeed the first
church in Porto in the Neoclassical style and created quite a sensation at the
time.
The façade is divided into two floors,
each divided horizontally into three sections. The lower floor has four Doric
columns, and the upper has four Ionic columns. In the spaces between the pairs
of columns flanking the rectangular door in the lower floor are sculptures of Penitence
(or Innocence) and Humility, of Italian taste. Above the door is inscribed in
stone: “Pavete ad meum Sanctuarium. Ego Dominus” (Tremble before my sanctuary.
I am the Lord), from Leviticus 26:2.
The building is crowned with statues of
the three virtues: Faith, Hope, and Charity (with Faith in the center). The
triangular pediment has in its center the coat of arms of the Order with a
royal crown.
Porto: Igreja da Venerável Ordem
Terceira de São Francisco – façade, with Casa do Despacho around corner at left;
in that corner is the historical marker sign for both buildings (see later
photo).
Porto: Igreja da Venerável Ordem
Terceira de São Francisco - coat of arms of Third Order in pediment at top of façade,
with statues of three virtues
“The Dispatch House of St. Francis’
Third Order was built in the mid-18th century [, in order to provide services
to the Third Order of St. Francis]. Nasoni designed both the building and some
of the carving used to decorate the inside. The underground floor houses the
Brother’s graveyard. The church, which was begun in 1795, was Oporto’s first
neoclassical church. The original drawings were by António Pinto de Miranda and
a number of famous artists contributed to the interior [, such as the painters
Vieira Portuense and Teixeira Barreto, the sculptor Sousa Alão, and Luís
Chiari, in the work of the carving and statues].” (The sign is located at the
junction of the two buildings, but the drawing on the sign shows only the
façade of the Igreja da Venerável Ordem Terceira de São Francisco.)
Facing
the main (west) façade of the Igreja de São Francisco, on the other side of the
Igreja da Venerável Ordem Terceira de São Francisco, is the Casa do Despacho da Ordem Terceira de São
Francisco. Since we had mistaken the building between the two churches to
be the Casa do Despacho, we failed to photograph the real one.
Porto: Casa do Despacho da
Ordem Terceira de São Francisco, with its main door serving as entrance to
Museum, and part of façade of Igreja da Venerável Ordem Terceira de São
Francisco at right
The Casa do Despacho da Ordem
Terceira de São Francisco (Dispatch House of the Third Order of St.
Francis, also translated as House of the Order of the Third Order of St.
Francis) is also known, more simply, as Casa da Ordem (House of the Order). It
was built in the place where there was an albergue
(hostel) for poor brothers and the first of the city to assist women, after the
albergue was destroyed by a fire in
1746.
The Casa do Despacho was built
between 1746 and 1749 (although some indicators point to a later completion, in
1752), designed in Baroque style by Nicolau Nasoni. Thus, it was built prior to
the last rebuilding of the Igreja da Venerável Ordem Terceira de São Francisco next-door.
Porto: Casa do Despacho da
Ordem Terceira de São Francisco - coat of arms of Third Order above door
Like other buildings in the
complex in front of the Igreja de São Francisco, the Casa do Despacho bears the
Third Order’s coat of arms above the main door. The windows have iron railings,
as was usual in the first half of the 18th century. The house has two floors
above ground, with an interesting Baroque interior, and an underground catacomb
or cemetery for the Brothers. The catacomb was deactivated after a new health
Law in 1845 prohibited burials in churches, and is now a tourists’ curiosity as
part of the Museu da Venerável Ordem Terceira de São Francisco (Museum of the
Venerable Third Order of St. Francis).
12:43 PM – Porto: tiles of Old Porto in store
window.
We gave up trying to find a good place to eat a late lunch and went to the São Bento station to take the Metro back to Hotel Vile Galé, thinking we might try the lunch buffet (€16 each), but we got there at 1:30 and the buffet closed at 2 pm.
1:27 PM – Porto: Hotel Vila Galé – exterior
with MT trying to point to our room 1716 on 17th floor.
MT 1:33 PM – Porto: Hotel Vila Galé – exterior
with Don trying to point to our room 1716 on 17th floor.
From
our hotel window, we could see a church, which we thought was the Igreja da
Trinidade (Church of the Trinity), which would have been to our west-northwest.
However, it turned out to be the Igreja
do Bonfim, to our northeast.
1:39 PM – Porto: Hotel Vila Galé – view from
our window toward Igreja do Bonfim.
1:39 PM (Cropped) – Porto: Hotel Vila Galé –
view from our window toward Igreja do Bonfim.
The Igreja Paroquial do Bonfim (Parish Church of the Bonfim), also
known as Igreja Matriz do Bonfim (Mother Church of Bonfim) or just Igreja do
Bonfim, dedicated to the Senhor do Bonfim e da Boa-Morte (Lord of Bonfim and
the Good Death) [other sources say Senhor do Bonfim and Santa Clara], was built
in Neoclassical style between 1874 and 1894, replacing a chapel that had
existed since 1786. The relatively simple façade has several windows and a
central door with the inscription Domino
Iesu Dicata (Dedicated to the Lord Jesus). At the top of the façade is a
triangular pediment with a lamb on the tympanum and surmounted by a statue of
Faith. The façade is flanked with twin bell towers, 42 m high.
Porto: Igreja do Bonfim –
façade
The website www.thecatholicdirectory.com lists this church as Lord of the Good Death. The Senhor do Bonfim (Lord of Bonfim) is a figuration of Jesus in which he is venerated in the vision of his ascension. [Bonfim is likely a combination of the Portuguese bom (good) and fim (end).]
Around
3 pm, Don decided to walk to the Igreja da Trinidade, which we (mistakenly) thought
we could see from our window, to try to get carimbo
stamps there for our second credenciais,
which we were just starting. He started out OK, but it was hard to follow the
map due to streets being poorly marked. After a while, he asked a man on the
street how to get to the Igreja da Trinidade; the man said to turn right and
walk to a green park and go around the park to the church. Reaching the park,
however, Don found only a small church, the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Esperança (Church of Our Lady of Hope),
attached to an old orphanage. Don took a photo of the historical marker for
this orphanage and church just to have a record of where he ended up.
The Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Esperança (Church of Our Lady of Hope)
is located on Avenida Rodrigues de Freitas, next to the Jardim de São Lázaro
(Garden of St. Lazarus). It was built in the 18th century with the mason-master
António Pereira in charge of the work, although it was presumably designed by
Nicolau Nasoni. The church is part of the Colégio de Nossa Senhora da Esperança
(School of Our Lady of Hope), property of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia (Holy
House of Mercy) of Porto, and was created as a Recolhimento das Meninas Órfãs
de Nossa Senhora da Esperança (Home of the Orphan Girls of Our Lady of Hope),
instituted in 1724. Construction of the church was begun in 1746, and it was
consecrated in 1763. It was built on a site previously occupied by a church or
chapel that served the patients of the Hospital de São Lázaro (Hospital of St.
Lazarus). The church, with Rocaille altars, is regarded as a jewel of the
Baroque in Porto.
Porto: Igreja de Nossa
Senhora da Esperança
Don
had apparently missed a right turn onto Rua de Fernandes Tomás, which would
have led to Igreja da Trinidade, and had turned right at the next major
intersection, which was Avenida Rodrigues de Freitas.
So,
at this point, Don just retraced his route back to Hotel Vila Galé.
Since
we had missed the lunch buffet (which we later learned would have served until
2:30), we ate apples we had saved from breakfast and then went to the dinner
buffet, which started at 7 pm. This
buffet was €22 each, but we decided to splurge a little. To go with the buffet,
we ordered a bottle of Santa Vitória Reserva red wine (€13) and a 1-liter
bottle of agua mineral (mineral
water, €3); so the total came to €60.
We
couldn’t begin to tell you what we ate from the fabulous buffet, but Don took a
photo of the dinner buffet menu as
we were leaving about 1.5 hours later.
SOUPS
Creamy
Vegetable SoupPeas Green Soupe
Croutons
Shrimp Patties
Mushrooms Finger Balls
Cod Patties
Squid Rings
Pickles Selection
Sauces and Seasoning
CHEESES
Edam
Cheese with Green PepperIlha Cheese
Brie Cheese
Mix Cheese
Quince Jam
Toasts
Smoked Salmon
Blood Sausage
Chorizo
Bologna
FRUITS
Sliced
OrangeSliced Watermelon
Sliced Pineapple
Orange
Peach
Kiwi
Apple
SALADS
Simple
Salads
LettuceTomato
Onion
Carrot
Cucumber
Beetroot
Black-Eyed Peas
Rocket
Endives
Watercress
Purple Cabbage
Chickpeas
Supplements
Sliced
SausagesTurkey Ham
Mozzarella Pearls
Flaked Fish
Combined
Salads
Mussels
Onion and PeppersTuna Boiled Eggs and Parsley
Clams Coriander and Peppers
Vegetables Shrimps an Cherry Tomatoes
MAIN
COURSES
Main
Veal
StroganoffGrilled Pork Belly
Roasted Chicken with Green Apple Sautéed Cod with Onion and Potato
Vegetables Couscous
Pasta Gratinated with Chevre
Pasta with Deli Meats
Side
Dishes
French
FriesCroquette Potatoes
White Rice
Rice with Peas
Steamed Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Olive Oil
DESERTS
Vermicelli
Pudding
Flavored
JellysBanana and Mango Crumble
Roasted Pippin Apple
Egg Flan
Chocolate Torte
Cream Cake
Chocolate Ice Cream
Vanilla Ice Cream
Strawberry Ice Cream
Ice Cream (Portuguese: Gelado Nata = Cream Ice Cream)
Topping for Ice Cream
After
dinner, we went to the 19th floor,
where there were an indoor pool and a gym, to check on the view.
8:32 PM – Porto: Hotel Vila Galé – view from
19th floor toward northwest, with Igreja do Bonfim floodlit.
8:32 PM – Porto: Hotel Vila Galé – view from
19th floor toward northwest, with Igreja do Bonfim floodlit (at right).
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