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The Ribeira Square ( pt, Praça da Ribeira) is a historical square in
The square is located in the historical district of Ribeira (''riverside'' in Portuguese), part of the São Nicolau parish. The Ribeira district spreads alongside the
The Ribeira Square ( pt, Praça da Ribeira) is a historical square in Porto
Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
, Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
. It is included in the historical centre of the city, designated World Heritage
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
by UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
.
History
The square is located in the historical district of Ribeira (''riverside'' in Portuguese), part of the São Nicolau parish. The Ribeira district spreads alongside the Douro river
The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part of ...
and used to be a centre of intense commercial and manufacturing activity since the Middle Ages. Also since that time the Ribeira Square was the site of many shops that sold fish, bread, meat and other goods. In 1491 the buildings around the square were destroyed in a fire, and the houses were rebuilt with arcades in their groundfloors. During this rebuilding campaign the square also gained a pavement made of stone slabs.
In the mid-18th century the city needed new urban improvements to provide for the swift flow of goods and people between the Ribeira neighbourhood and other areas of Porto. In this context, governor João de Almada e Melo opened a new street, the São João Street, that connected the Ribeira Square and the upper town, and promoted the reurbanisation of the square itself. The project, executed between 1776 and 1782, is credited to John Whitehead, English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
consul
Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...
in Porto. The square was to become enclosed on its north, west and east sides by buildings with arcades, while the south side of the square, facing the Douro, was enclosed by the medieval walls (''Muralhas Fernandinas'') of Porto. These walls were torned down in 1821, opening the square to the river.
The Ribeira Square and its surrounding has been classified as Property of Public Interest since 1971.
Points of interest
The northern part of the square has a monumental fountain, three storeys high, built in the 1780s and decorated with thecoat-of-arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its w ...
of Portugal. The niche of the fountain is occupied by a modern statue of St John the Baptist by sculptor João Cutileiro
João Cutileiro OSE (26 June 1937 – 5 January 2021) was a Portuguese sculptor. He is responsible for a number of controversial female nudes in marble.
Life
Cutileiro was born and died in Lisbon. He was the creator of several pieces of mo ...
. The square also has a modern cubic sculpture by José Rodrigues (nicknamed the ''Cubo da Ribeira'') over the remains of a 17th-century fountain.
Nowadays the Ribeira Square is a favourite spot for tourists.
See also
*Douro
The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part of ...
* Liberdade Square
* Tourist attractions in Porto
Porto, a popular tourist destination in Portugal, is the country's second largest city. It is located along the Douro river estuary in Northern Portugal. Porto is one of the oldest European centers, and its historical core was classified a World H ...
References