Porto Office Park, Portugal
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Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in
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 th ...
, the capital of the
Porto District The District of Porto ( pt, Distrito do Porto ) is located on the north-west coast of Portugal. The district capital is the city of Porto, the second largest city in the country. It is bordered by the Aveiro and Viseu districts to the south, Br ...
, and one of the
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...
's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropolitan area, with an estimated population of just 231,800 people in a municipality with only 41.42 km2. Porto's metropolitan area has around 1.7 million people (2021) in an area of ,Demographia: World Urban Areas
March 2010
making it the second-largest urban area in Portugal. It is recognized as a global city with a Gamma + rating from the
Globalization and World Cities Research Network The Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) is a think tank that studies the relationships between world cities in the context of globalization. It is based in the geography department of Loughborough University in Leicestershir ...
. Located along the
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 o ...
River estuary in northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centres, and its core was proclaimed a
World Heritage Site 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 ...
by UNESCO in 1996, as "Historic Centre of Porto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar". The historic area is also a National Monument of Portugal. The western part of its urban area extends to the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. Its settlement dates back many centuries, when it was an outpost of the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...
. Its combined
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...
-
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
name,
Portus Cale Portus Cale ( Latinised version for "Port of Cale", original Celtic name ''Callaici'', ''Cale'') was an ancient town and port in present-day northern Portugal, in the area of today's Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. The name of the town eventually inf ...
, has been referred to as the origin of the name ''Portugal'', based on
transliteration Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters (thus ''trans-'' + '' liter-'') in predictable ways, such as Greek → , Cyrillic → , Greek → the digraph , Armenian → or L ...
and oral evolution from Latin. In Portuguese, the name of the city includes a
definite article An article is any member of a class of dedicated words that are used with noun phrases to mark the identifiability of the referents of the noun phrases. The category of articles constitutes a part of speech. In English, both "the" and "a(n)" a ...
: '' o Porto'' ("the port" or "the harbor"), which is where its English name "Oporto" comes from.
Port wine Port wine (also known as vinho do Porto, , or simply port) is a Portuguese wine, Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro, Douro Valley of Norte, Portugal, northern Portugal. It is typically a sweetness of wine, sweet red wine, often ...
, one of Portugal's most famous exports, is named after Porto, since the metropolitan area, and in particular the cellars of
Vila Nova de Gaia Vila Nova de Gaia (; cel-x-proto, Cale), or simply Gaia, is a city and a municipality in Porto District in Norte Region, Portugal. It is located south of the city of Porto on the other side of the Douro River. The city proper had a population of ...
, were responsible for the packaging, transport, and export of
fortified wine Fortified wine is a wine to which a distilled spirit, usually brandy, has been added. In the course of some centuries, winemakers have developed many different styles of fortified wine, including port, sherry, madeira, Marsala, Commanda ...
. In 2014 and 2017, Porto was elected ''The Best European Destination'' by the Best European Destinations Agency. Porto is on
the Portuguese Way The Portuguese Way ( pt, Caminho Português, es, Camino Portugués) is the name of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes starting in Portugal. It begins at Porto or Lisbon. From Porto, along the Douro River, pilgrims travel north crossing t ...
path of the
Camino de Santiago The Camino de Santiago ( la, Peregrinatio Compostellana, "Pilgrimage of Compostela"; gl, O Camiño de Santiago), known in English as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint ...
.


History


Early history

Proto-Celtic Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, is the ancestral proto-language of all known Celtic languages, and a descendant of Proto-Indo-European. It is not attested in writing but has been partly Linguistic reconstruction, reconstructed through the compar ...
and
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
people were among the first known inhabitants of the area. Ruins of that period have been discovered in several areas. Archaeological findings reveal that there were also human settlements at the mouth of the Douro River as early as 8th century BC, which hints to a
Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...
n trading settlement there. During the Roman occupation of the
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...
, the city developed as an important commercial port, primarily in the trade between ''Olissipona'' (the modern
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
) and ''Bracara Augusta'' (the modern
Braga Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants (in ...
). Porto was also important during the
Suebian The Suebi (or Suebians, also spelled Suevi, Suavi) were a large group of Germanic peoples originally from the Elbe river region in what is now Germany and the Czech Republic. In the early Roman era they included many peoples with their own names ...
and
Visigothic The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is kno ...
times, and a centre for the expansion of Christianity during that period. Porto fell under the control of the Moors during the
invasion An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...
of the Iberian Peninsula in 711. In 868,
Vímara Peres Vímara PeresVímara is an originally Visigothic name of Germanic origin (cognate with Weimar or Guimar) and Peres is a patronymic, meaning son of Pedro or Peter. The name can then be equated to Weimar/Guimar Peterson. (died in Galicia, 873) w ...
, an Asturian
count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
from
Gallaecia Gallaecia, also known as Hispania Gallaecia, was the name of a Roman province in the north-west of Hispania, approximately present-day Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Norte, Portugal, northern Portugal, Asturias and León (province), Leon and the lat ...
, and a vassal of the King of
Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in nor ...
,
Léon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...
and Galicia, Alfonso III, was sent to reconquer and secure the lands back into Christian hands. This included the area from the Minho to 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 o ...
: the settlement of ''
Portus Cale Portus Cale ( Latinised version for "Port of Cale", original Celtic name ''Callaici'', ''Cale'') was an ancient town and port in present-day northern Portugal, in the area of today's Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. The name of the town eventually inf ...
'' and the area that is known as
Vila Nova de Gaia Vila Nova de Gaia (; cel-x-proto, Cale), or simply Gaia, is a city and a municipality in Porto District in Norte Region, Portugal. It is located south of the city of Porto on the other side of the Douro River. The city proper had a population of ...
. Portus Cale, later referred to as Portucale, was the origin for the modern name of
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 th ...
. In 868,
Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
Vímara Peres established the
County of Portugal The County of Portugal ( pt, Condado de Portugal, Condado Portucalense, Condado de Portucale; in documents of the period the name used was Portugalia) refers to two successive medieval counties in the region around Braga and Porto, today corres ...
, or ( pt, Condado de Portucale), usually known as ''Condado Portucalense'' after reconquering the region north of Douro. In 1387, Porto was the site of the marriage of
John I of Portugal John I ( pt, João uˈɐ̃w̃ 11 April 1357 – 14 August 1433), also called John of Aviz, was King of Portugal from 1385 until his death in 1433. He is recognized chiefly for his role in Portugal's victory in a succession war with Casti ...
and
Philippa of Lancaster Philippa of Lancaster ( pt, Filipa ; 31 March 1360 – 19 July 1415) was Queen of Portugal from 1387 until 1415 by marriage to King John I. Born into the royal family of England, her marriage secured the Treaty of Windsor and produced severa ...
, daughter of
John of Gaunt John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (6 March 1340 – 3 February 1399) was an English royal prince, military leader, and statesman. He was the fourth son (third to survive infancy as William of Hatfield died shortly after birth) of King Edward ...
; this symbolized a long-standing
military alliance A military alliance is a formal Alliance, agreement between nations concerning national security. Nations in a military alliance agree to active participation and contribution to the defense of others in the alliance in the event of a crisis. ...
between Portugal and
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The Portuguese-English alliance (see the Treaty of Windsor) is the world's oldest recorded military alliance. In the 14th and 15th centuries, Porto's shipyards contributed to the development of Portuguese shipbuilding. Also from the port of Porto, in 1415, Prince
Henry the Navigator ''Dom'' Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator ( pt, Infante Dom Henrique, o Navegador), was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15t ...
(son of
John I of Portugal John I ( pt, João uˈɐ̃w̃ 11 April 1357 – 14 August 1433), also called John of Aviz, was King of Portugal from 1385 until his death in 1433. He is recognized chiefly for his role in Portugal's victory in a succession war with Casti ...
) embarked on the conquest of the Moorish port of Ceuta, in northern
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
. This expedition by the king and his fleet, which included Prince Henry, was followed by navigation and exploration along the western coast of Africa, initiating the Portuguese
Age of Discovery The Age of Discovery (or the Age of Exploration), also known as the early modern period, was a period largely overlapping with the Age of Sail, approximately from the 15th century to the 17th century in European history, during which seafarin ...
. The nickname given to the people of Porto began in those days; Portuenses are to this day, colloquially, referred to as ''tripeiros'' (''tripe peoples''), referring to this period of history, when higher-quality cuts of meat were shipped from Porto with their sailors, while off-cuts and by-products, such as
tripe Tripe is a type of edible lining from the stomachs of various farm animals. Most tripe is from cattle, pigs and sheep. Types of tripe Beef tripe Beef tripe is made from the muscle wall (the interior mucosal lining is removed) of a cow's st ...
, were left behind for the citizens of Porto; tripe remains a culturally important dish in modern-day Porto.


18th century

By the 13th century, the wine produced in the
Douro valley The Comunidade Intermunicipal do Douro () is an administrative division in Portugal. It replaced the ''Comunidade Urbana do Douro'', created in 2004. It takes its name from the Douro River. The seat of the intermunicipal community is Vila Real. D ...
was already transported to Porto in ''barcos rabelos'' (flat sailing vessels). In 1703, the
Methuen Treaty The Methuen Treaty was a military and commercial treaty between England and Portugal that was signed in 1703 as part of the War of the Spanish Succession. The treaty stipulated that no tax higher than the tax charged for an equal amount of Frenc ...
established the trade relations between Portugal and England. In 1717, the first English trading post was established in Porto. The production of
port wine Port wine (also known as vinho do Porto, , or simply port) is a Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. It is typically a sweet red wine, often served with dessert, although it also comes in dry, semi- ...
then gradually passed into the hands of a few English firms. To counter this dominance, Prime Minister
Marquis of Pombal Count of Oeiras () was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated July 15, 1759, by King Joseph I of Portugal, and granted to Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, head of the Portuguese government. Later, through another roy ...
established a Portuguese firm receiving the monopoly of the wines from the Douro valley. He demarcated the region for the production of port, to ensure the wine's quality; this was the first attempt to control wine quality and production in Europe. The small winegrowers revolted against his strict policies on
Shrove Tuesday Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), observed in many Christian countries through participating in confession and absolution, the ritual burning of the previous year's Holy Week palms, finalizing one's Lenten s ...
, burning down the buildings of this firm. The revolt was called ''Revolta dos Borrachos'' (revolt of the drunkards). Between 1732 and 1763, Italian architect
Nicolau Nasoni Nicolau Nasoni (or originally Niccoló Nasoni, 2 June 1691 – 30 August 1773) was an Italian artist and architect mostly active in Portugal. He became one of the most influential figures in Portuguese Baroque architecture with his original and v ...
designed a
baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
church with a tower that became its architectural and visual icon: the Torre dos Clérigos (English: Clerics' Tower). During the 18th and 19th centuries, the city became an important industrial centre and its size and population increased.


19th century

The invasion of the
Napoleonic Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
troops in Portugal under Marshal
Soult Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia, (; 29 March 1769 – 26 November 1851) was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of the Empire in 1804 and often called Marshal Soult. Soult was one of only six officers in Frenc ...
brought war to the city of Porto. On 29 March 1809, as the population fled from the advancing French troopsSmithGlover and tried to cross the river Douro over the ''Ponte das Barcas'' (a pontoon bridge), the bridge collapsed under the weight. This event is still remembered by a plate at the Ponte D. Luis I. The
French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
was rooted out of Porto by
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister o ...
, when his
Anglo-Portuguese Army The Anglo-Portuguese Army was the combined United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British and Portugal, Portuguese army that participated in the Peninsular War, under the command of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesl ...
crossed the Douro River from the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar (a former convent) in a brilliant daylight ''
coup de main A ''coup de main'' (; plural: ''coups de main'', French for blow with the hand) is a swift attack that relies on speed and surprise to accomplish its objectives in a single blow. Definition The United States Department of Defense defines it as ...
'', using wine barges to transport the troops, outflanking the French Army. On 24 August 1820, a liberal revolution occurred, quickly spreading without resistance to the rest of the country. It began with a military insurrection in the city of Porto. In 1822, a liberal constitution was accepted, partly through the efforts of the liberal assembly of Porto (Junta do Porto). When Miguel I of Portugal took the Portuguese throne in 1828, he rejected this constitution and reigned as an antiliberal, absolutist monarch. A
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
was then fought from 1828 to 1834 between those supporting Constitutionalism, and those opposed to this change, keen on near-absolutism and led by D. Miguel. Porto rebelled again and had to undergo a siege of eighteen months between 1832 and 1833 by the absolutist army. Porto is also called "Cidade Invicta" (English: Unvanquished City) after successfully resisting the
Miguelist In the history of Portugal, a Miguelist (in Portuguese ''Miguelista'') was a supporter of the legitimacy of the king Miguel I of Portugal. The name is also given to those who supported absolutism as form of government, in opposition to the libe ...
siege. After the abdication of King Miguel, the liberal constitution was re-established. Known as the city of bridges, Porto built its first permanent bridge, the ''Ponte das Barcas'' (a
pontoon bridge A pontoon bridge (or ponton bridge), also known as a floating bridge, uses float (nautical), floats or shallow-draft (hull), draft boats to support a continuous deck for pedestrian and vehicle travel. The buoyancy of the supports limits the maxi ...
), in 1806. Three years later, it collapsed under the weight of thousands of fugitives from the French invasions during the
Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...
, causing thousands of deaths. It was replaced by the Ponte D. Maria II, popularised under the name ''Ponte Pênsil'' ( suspended bridge) and built between 1841 and 1843; only its supporting pylons have remained. The '' Ponte D. Maria'', a railway bridge, was inaugurated on 4 November of 1877; it was considered a feat of
wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag Inclusion (mineral), inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a ...
engineering and was designed by
Gustave Eiffel Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (born Bonickhausen dit Eiffel; ; ; 15 December 1832 – 27 December 1923) was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway ...
, notable for his Parisian tower. The later Ponte Dom Luís I replaced the aforementioned Ponte Pênsil. This last bridge was made by Teophile Seyrig, a former partner of Eiffel. Seyrig won a governmental competition that took place in 1879. Building began in 1881 and the bridge was opened to the public on 31 October 1886. A higher-learning institution in nautical sciences (Aula de Náutica, 1762) and a
stock exchange A stock exchange, securities exchange, or bourse is an exchange where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities, such as shares of stock, bonds and other financial instruments. Stock exchanges may also provide facilities for th ...
(Bolsa do Porto, 1834 – 1910) were established in the city, but were discontinued later. Unrest by Republicans led to the first revolt against the monarchy in Porto on 31 January 1891. This resulted ultimately in the overthrow of the monarchy and proclamation of the republic by the
5 October 1910 revolution The 5 October 1910 revolution was the overthrow of the centuries-old Portuguese monarchy and its replacement by the First Portuguese Republic. It was the result of a ''coup d'état'' organized by the Portuguese Republican Party. By 1910, the K ...
.


20th century

On 19 January 1919, forces favourable to the restoration of the monarchy launched a
counter-revolution A counter-revolutionary or an anti-revolutionary is anyone who opposes or resists a revolution, particularly one who acts after a revolution in order to try to overturn it or reverse its course, in full or in part. The adjective "counter-revoluti ...
in Porto known as
Monarchy of the North The Monarchy of the North ( pt, Monarquia do Norte), officially the Kingdom of Portugal (), was a short-lived counter-revolution against the First Portuguese Republic and a monarchist government that occurred in Northern Portugal in early 1919. ...
. During this time, Porto was the capital of the restored kingdom, as the movement was contained to the north. The monarchy was deposed less than a month later and no other monarchist revolution in Portugal happened again. The historic centre of Porto was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. The World Heritage Site is defined in two concentric zones; the "Protected area", and within it the "Classified area". The Classified area comprises the medieval borough located inside the 14th-century Romanesque wall.


Geography

In 1996,
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 ...
recognised Porto's historic centre as a
World Heritage Site 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 ...
. Among the architectural highlights of the city,
Porto Cathedral The Porto Cathedral ( pt, Sé do Porto) is a Roman Catholic church located in the historical centre of the city of Porto, Portugal. It is one of the city's oldest monuments and one of the most important local Romanesque architecture, Romanesque m ...
is the oldest surviving structure, together with the small romanesque
Church of Cedofeita Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service A church service (or a service of worship) is a forma ...
, the
gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
Igreja de São Francisco (Church of Saint Francis), the remnants of the city walls and a few 15th-century houses. The
baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
style is well represented in the city in the elaborate gilt work
interior decoration Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordina ...
of the churches of St. Francis (''São Francisco'') and St. Claire (''Santa Clara''), the churches of Mercy (''Misericórdia'') and of the Clerics ('' Clérigos''), the Episcopal Palace of Porto, and others. The
neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...
and
romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
of the 19th and 20th centuries also added interesting monuments to the landscape of the city, like the magnificent Stock Exchange Palace (''
Palácio da Bolsa The Stock Exchange Palace () is a historical building in Porto, Portugal. The palace was built in the 19th century by the city's Commercial Association () in Neoclassical style. It is located in the Infante D. Henrique Square in the historical cent ...
''), the Hospital of Saint Anthony, the Municipality, the buildings in the Liberdade Square and the ''Avenida dos Aliados'', the tile-adorned
São Bento railway station São Bento Railway Station ( pt, estação ferroviária de São Bento) is a 20th-century railway terminal in the civil parish of Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória, in the municipality of Porto, district of Porto. ...
and the gardens of the
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
(''Palácio de Cristal''). A guided visit to the
Palácio da Bolsa The Stock Exchange Palace () is a historical building in Porto, Portugal. The palace was built in the 19th century by the city's Commercial Association () in Neoclassical style. It is located in the Infante D. Henrique Square in the historical cent ...
, and in particular, the Arab Room is a major
tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural b ...
. Many of the city's oldest houses are at risk of collapsing. The population in Porto municipality dropped by nearly 100,000 since the 1980s, but the number of permanent residents in the outskirts and satellite towns has grown strongly. Administratively, the municipality is divided into 7 civil parishes (''
freguesias ''Freguesia'' (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions in the former Port ...
''): *
Aldoar, Foz do Douro e Nevogilde Aldoar, Foz do Douro e Nevogilde is a civil parish in the municipality of Porto, Portugal. It was formed in 2013 by the merger of the former parishes Aldoar, Foz do Douro Foz do Douro (; meaning "Mouth of the Douro") is a former civil parish in th ...
* Bonfim *
Campanhã Campanhã () is a Portuguese ''freguesia'' ("civil parish"), located in the city of 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. Por ...
*
Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória is a civil parish in the municipality of Porto, Portugal. It was formed in 2013 by the merger of the former parishes Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso Santo Ildefonso () is a former civi ...
*
Lordelo do Ouro e Massarelos Lordelo do Ouro e Massarelos is a civil parish in the municipality of Porto, Portugal. It was formed in 2013 by the merger of the former parishes Lordelo do Ouro and Massarelos Massarelos () is a former civil parish in the municipality of Porto, P ...
* Paranhos *
Ramalde Ramalde () is a Portuguese civil parish of the municipality of Porto. The population in 2011 was 38,012,


Climate

Porto features a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Csb''), with influences of an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
(''Cfb''), like northern Spain. As a result, its climate shares many characteristics with the warm, dry Mediterranean climates of southern Europe and the wet marine west coast climates of the North Atlantic, providing it warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Cool and rainy days can, occasionally, interrupt the
dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The te ...
. These occasional summer rainy periods may last a few days and are characterised by showers and cool temperatures around in the afternoon. The annual precipitation is high and concentrated in the winter months, making Porto one of the wettest major cities of Europe. However, long periods with warmer temperatures and sunny days are frequent even during the rainiest months. Summers are typically sunny, with average temperatures between , but can rise to as high as during occasional heat waves. During such heatwaves, the
humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity depe ...
remains quite low. Nearby beaches are often windy and usually cooler than the urban areas. Summer average temperatures are a few degrees cooler than those expected in more continentally Mediterranean-influenced Portuguese cities because of the oceanic influence. Winter temperatures typically range between early in the morning and in the afternoon, but rarely drop below at night. The weather is often rainy for long stretches, although prolonged sunny periods do occur.


Politics and government


Local election results 1976–2021


Active political parties established in Porto

The Portuguese party ''
Iniciativa Liberal The Liberal Initiative ( pt, Iniciativa Liberal, , IL) is a liberal political party in Portugal currently led by João Cotrim de Figueiredo. In 2019, its debut year at the Portuguese legislative elections, the party won one seat in the Portug ...
'' (IL), founded and headquartered in Porto, is the only Portuguese party represented in
parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
which is headquartered out of Lisbon area.


Demographics

Breaking down the population further shows that there is a higher percentage of women than men. Estimates from 2016 show that the population is 55% female, compared to 45% male. The largest age group, according to 2016 estimates, is 60 to 69, followed by residents in the 50 to 59 demographic. The majority 93.7% of residents were born in
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 th ...
. The city also has residents that originally were born in
Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...
, Brazil,
Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...
, and countries across Europe. Porto has seen its population climb over the years and with a thriving economy and a growing tourism industry, the population is only expected to continue to increase in the upcoming years.


Economy

Porto plus the
conurbation A conurbation is a region comprising a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ca ...
to which it belongs and has Porto municipality as its central core forming the nucleus of the conurbation, is a major industrial and financial center of both Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula. As the most important city in the heavily industrialized northwest, many of the largest Portuguese corporations from diverse
economic sectors One classical breakdown of economic activity distinguishes three sectors: * Primary: involves the retrieval and production of raw-material commodities, such as corn, coal, wood or iron. Miners, farmers and fishermen are all workers in the ...
, like
Altri Altri SGPS SA is a Portuguese industrial conglomerate headquartered in Porto. The group's main companies operate in wood pulp production, cultivation of forests for the timber and paper industry and co-generation of energy, including energy produc ...
, Ambar, Amorim, Bial, BPI,
Cerealis Cerealis is a Portuguese food producer and the biggest milling company in Portugal, headquartered in Maia, and founded in 1919 as a cereal processing company. Cerealis Group has two divisions, food producer Cerealis Produtos Alimentares and mi ...
, CIN,
Cofina The Puerto Rico Urgent Interest Fund Corporation (also known as the Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corporation) —Spanish: ''Corporación del Fondo de Interés Apremiante'' (COFINA)— is a government-owned corporation of Puerto Rico ...
,
EFACEC EFACEC Power Solutions SGPS, S.A. is a Portuguese energy, engineering and mobility company, comprising several subsidiaries in different international markets. Efacec group is one of the largest manufacturers in the fast-charging infrastructure ...
,
Frulact Frulact – Ingredientes para a Indústria de Laticínios, Lda. is a food industry company, part of France-based Ardian since 2020, which is specialized in fruit processing and is headquartered in Maia, Portugal. Its aim is the manufacture of food ...
,
Lactogal Lactogal is a Portuguese food products company focused on dairy products, milk, fruit juice and mineral water. It is headquartered in Porto and is placed among the twenty largest agro-food European companies. It has major factories in Oliveira ...
,
Millennium bcp Portuguese Commercial Bank ( pt, Banco Comercial Português, BCP) is a Portuguese bank that was founded in 1985 and is the largest private bank in the country. BCP is a member of the Euronext 100 stock index and its current chief executive officer ...
,
Porto Editora Porto Editora is the largest Portuguese publisher with a consolidated turnover of more than 90M € in 2010. It is the leading educational publisher in PortugalHerbert R. Lottman, "Publishing in Portugal", ''Publishers Weekly'', Volume 213, Issue ...
, RAR,
Sonae Sonae is a multinational business group based in Maia, Porto District, Portugal. It is present in 90 countries, operating in several sectors, including retail, financial services, shopping centres management, software and information systems, me ...
,
Sonae Indústria Sonae Indústria is a manufacturer of engineered wood products, founded and headquartered in Maia, Portugal. Present in five countries within three continents, Sonae Indústria has a wide range of products, from simple board to complete construc ...
, and Super Bock Group, are headquartered in the
Greater Metropolitan Area of Porto The Porto Metropolitan Area ( pt, Área Metropolitana do Porto; abbreviated as AMP) is a Metropolitan areas in Portugal, metropolitan area in northern Portugal centered on the Porto, City of Porto, Portugal's second largest city.Fernanda Paula Oli ...
, most notably, in the core municipalities of
Maia Maia (; Ancient Greek: Μαῖα; also spelled Maie, ; la, Maia), in ancient Greek religion and mythology, is one of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes, one of the major Greek gods, by Zeus, the king of Olympus. Family Maia is the daugh ...
,
Matosinhos Matosinhos, Porto, Portugal () is a city and a municipality in the northern Porto district of Portugal, bordered in the south by the city of Porto (8 km from the city centre). The population in 2011 was 175,478, and covered an area of approx ...
, Porto, and
Vila Nova de Gaia Vila Nova de Gaia (; cel-x-proto, Cale), or simply Gaia, is a city and a municipality in Porto District in Norte Region, Portugal. It is located south of the city of Porto on the other side of the Douro River. The city proper had a population of ...
. The city's former
stock exchange A stock exchange, securities exchange, or bourse is an exchange where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities, such as shares of stock, bonds and other financial instruments. Stock exchanges may also provide facilities for th ...
( Bolsa do Porto) was transformed into the largest
derivatives exchange A futures exchange or futures market is a central financial exchange where people can trade standardized futures contracts defined by the exchange. Futures contracts are derivatives contracts to buy or sell specific quantities of a commodity or f ...
of Portugal, and merged with
Lisbon Stock Exchange Euronext Lisbon is a stock exchange in Lisbon, Portugal. It is part of Euronext pan-European exchange. Euronext Lisbon trades equities, public and private bonds, participation bonds, warrants, corporate warrants, investment trust units, and e ...
to create the Bolsa de Valores de Lisboa e Porto, which eventually merged with
Euronext Euronext N.V. (short for European New Exchange Technology) is a pan-European bourse that offers various trading and post-trade services. Traded assets include regulated equities, exchange-traded funds (ETF), warrants and certificates, bonds, de ...
, together with Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris stock and
futures exchange A futures exchange or futures market is a central financial exchange where people can trade standardized futures contracts defined by the exchange. Futures contracts are derivatives contracts to buy or sell specific quantities of a commodity or f ...
s. The building formerly hosting the stock exchange is currently one of the city's touristic attractions, with the Salão Árabe (Arab Room in English) being its major highlight. The
Banco Português de Fomento Banco may refer to: Places * Banc (Barcelona Metro), also called Banco, a closed metro stop on the Barcelona metro * Banco, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Banco, West Virginia, an unincorporated community * Banco National Park, a nation ...
(BPF), a Portuguese state-owned development bank established in 2020, is headquartered in Porto. Porto hosts a popular Portuguese newspaper, '' Jornal de Notícias''. The building where its offices are located (which has the same name as the newspaper) was at a time one of the tallest in the city (it has been superseded by a number of modern buildings which have been built since the 1990s).
Porto Editora Porto Editora is the largest Portuguese publisher with a consolidated turnover of more than 90M € in 2010. It is the leading educational publisher in PortugalHerbert R. Lottman, "Publishing in Portugal", ''Publishers Weekly'', Volume 213, Issue ...
, one of the biggest Portuguese publishers, is also located in Porto. Its dictionaries are among the most popular references used in the country, and the translations are very popular as well. The economic relations between the city of Porto and the Upper
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 o ...
River have been documented since the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. However, they were greatly deepened in the modern ages. Indeed,
sumac Sumac ( or ), also spelled sumach, is any of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' and related genera in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, including Eas ...
h, dry fruits and
nut Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Co ...
s and the Douro
olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...
s sustained prosperous exchanges between the region and Porto. From the riverside quays at the river mouth, these products were exported to other markets of the Old and
New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
. However, the greatest lever to interregional trade relations resulted from the commercial dynamics of the
Port wine Port wine (also known as vinho do Porto, , or simply port) is a Portuguese wine, Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro, Douro Valley of Norte, Portugal, northern Portugal. It is typically a sweetness of wine, sweet red wine, often ...
(''Vinho do Porto'') agro-industry. It decidedly bolstered the complementary relationship between the large coastal urban centre, endowed with open doors to the sea, and a region with significant agricultural potential, especially in terms of the production of extremely high quality
fortified wine Fortified wine is a wine to which a distilled spirit, usually brandy, has been added. In the course of some centuries, winemakers have developed many different styles of fortified wine, including port, sherry, madeira, Marsala, Commanda ...
s, known by the world-famous label ''Port''. The development of Porto was also closely connected with the left margin of River Douro in
Vila Nova de Gaia Vila Nova de Gaia (; cel-x-proto, Cale), or simply Gaia, is a city and a municipality in Porto District in Norte Region, Portugal. It is located south of the city of Porto on the other side of the Douro River. The city proper had a population of ...
, where is located the amphitheatre-shaped slope with the Port wine cellars. The city is very much the gateway to Portugal's northern region as well as the northern and western areas of Spain. Within a two-hour drive of Porto's airport there are four Unesco World Heritage sites and popular Spanish tourist hotspots such as Santiago de Compostela. In a study concerning
competitiveness In economics, competition is a scenario where different economic firmsThis article follows the general economic convention of referring to all actors as firms; examples in include individuals and brands or divisions within the same (legal) firm ...
of the 18 Portuguese district capitals, Porto was the worst-ranked. The study was made by
Minho University The University of Minho (''Universidade do Minho'') is a public university in Portugal, divided into the following campuses: * Largo do Paço (rectorate), in Braga * Campus of Gualtar, in Braga * Convento dos Congregados, in Braga * Campus of Az ...
economics researchers and was published in Público newspaper on 30 September 2006. The best-ranked cities in the study were
Évora Évora ( , ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of 1307.08 km2. It is the historic capital of the Alentejo and serves as the seat of the Évora District. Due to its well-preserved old to ...
, Lisbon and
Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of . The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto Metropolitan Area, Porto, and Bra ...
. Nevertheless, the validity of this study was questioned by some Porto notable figures (such as local politicians and businesspersons) who argued that the city proper does not function independently but in conurbation with other municipalities. A 2007 ranking published in ''
Expresso Expresso may refer to: * Espresso, a coffee beverage * eXpresso, a hosted workspace for Microsoft Office communities * Expresso (Donkey Kong), a character in the ''Donkey Kong Country'' series * ''Expresso'' (newspaper), based in Lisbon, Portug ...
'' ranked Porto as the third best city to live in Portugal – tied with
Évora Évora ( , ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of 1307.08 km2. It is the historic capital of the Alentejo and serves as the seat of the Évora District. Due to its well-preserved old to ...
and below
Guimarães Guimarães () is a city and municipality located in northern Portugal, in the district of Braga. Its historic town centre has been listed as a UNESCWorld Heritage Sitesince 2001, in recognition for being an "exceptionally well-preserved and a ...
and
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
. The Porto metropolitan area had a GDP amounting to $43.0 billion, and $21,674 per capita.


Tourism

Over the last few years, Porto has experienced significant tourism increases, which may be partly linked to the
Ryanair Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost carrier founded in 1984. It is headquartered in Swords, Dublin, Ireland and has its primary operational bases at Dublin and London Stansted airports. It forms the largest part of the Ryanair Holdings family ...
hub at Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport. Porto won the European Best Destination 2012, 2014 and 2017 awards. The city received 2.8 million overnight visitors and 1.4 million day trippers between January and November 2017, with 73% from other countries. Tourism revenue has been increasing by over 11%, according to a 2018 report. According to a February 2019 report, over 10% of economic activity in Porto is generated by tourism. The hotel occupancy rate in 2017 was 77%. A scholarly study published in June 2019 stated that "Porto is one of the fastest-growing European tourist destinations that has experienced exponential growth in the demand for city-break tourists".


Transport


Roads and bridges

The road system capacity is augmented by the ''Via de Cintura Interna'' or A20, an internal highway connected to several motorways and city exits, complementing the ''Circunvalação'' 4-lane peripheric road, which borders the north of the city and connects the eastern side of the city to the Atlantic shore. The city is connected to Valença (
Viana do Castelo Viana do Castelo () is a municipality and seat of the district of Viana do Castelo in the Norte Region of Portugal. The population in 2011 was 88,725, in an area of 319.02 km². The urbanized area of the municipality, comprising the city, ...
) by highway A28, to Estarreja ( Aveiro) by the A29, to
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
by the A1, to Bragança by the A4 and to
Braga Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants (in ...
by the A3. There is also an outer-ring road, the A41, that connects all the main cities around Porto, linking the city to other major metropolitan highways such as the A7, A11, A42, A43 and A44. Since 2011, a new highway, the A32, connects the metropolitan area to
São João da Madeira São João da Madeira (), is a city and a municipality in northwestern region of the Portuguese Norte region. It's part of the larger Porto Metropolitan Area, located 30 km from central Porto. The population in 2011 was 21,713. With an area ...
and
Oliveira de Azeméis Oliveira de Azeméis () is a city and a municipality located in Porto Metropolitan Area in Portugal. Administratively, the municipality belongs to the District of Aveiro. The population of the municipality in 2011 was 68,611, in an area of 161.1 ...
. The
Dom Luís I Bridge The Dom Luís I Bridge ( pt, Ponte de Dom Luís I), or Luís I Bridge, is a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the River Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal. At its construction, its span was the longest o ...
(Ponte de Dom Luís I) is a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the River Douro between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. Built in 1886, its 172 metres (564 ft) span was then the longest of its type in the world. The top-level is used for the Porto Metro trains, with an option for pedestrians; the lower level carries traffic and pedestrians. During the 20th century, major bridges were built: ''
Arrábida Bridge The Arrábida Bridge is an arch bridge of reinforced concrete which carries six lanes of traffic over the Douro River, between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, in the Norte region of Portugal. History In March 1952, a preliminary project for a ro ...
'', which at its opening had the biggest concrete supporting arch in the world, and connects the north and south shores of the Douro on the west side of the city, '' S. João'', to replace ''D. Maria Pia'' and '' Freixo'', a highway bridge on the east side of the city. The newest bridge is
Infante Dom Henrique Bridge The Infante Dom Henrique Bridge ( pt, Ponte Infante Dom Henrique), commonly known as Infante Bridge ( pt, Ponte do Infante), is a road bridge across the Douro River in Metropolitan Area of Porto, Greater Porto, Portugal. The bridge is upriver fro ...
, finished in 2003. Two more bridges are said to be under designing stages and due to be built in the next 10 years, one on the Campo Alegre area, nearby the Faculty of Humanities and the Arts, and another one in the area known as the Massarelos valley. Porto is often referred to as ''Cidade das Pontes'' (City of the Bridges), besides its more traditional nicknames of "Cidade Invicta" (Unconquered/ Invincible City) and "Capital do Norte" (Capital of the North).


Cruising

In July 2015 a new
cruise terminal A passenger terminal is a structure in a port which services passengers boarding and leaving water vessels such as ferries, cruise ships and ocean liners. Depending on the types of vessels serviced by the terminal, it may be named (for example) ...
was opened at the port of Leixões, which is north of the city in
Matosinhos Matosinhos, Porto, Portugal () is a city and a municipality in the northern Porto district of Portugal, bordered in the south by the city of Porto (8 km from the city centre). The population in 2011 was 175,478, and covered an area of approx ...
.


Airports

Porto is served by
Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport or simply Porto Airport (formerly ''Pedras Rubras Airport'') is an international airport near Porto (Oporto), Portugal. It is located northwest of the Clérigos Tower in the centre of Porto, in the municipalitie ...
which is located in Pedras Rubras, Moreira da Maia civil parish of the neighbouring Municipality of Maia, some to the north-west of the city centre. The airport underwent a massive programme of refurbishment due to the
Euro 2004 The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2004, was the 12th edition of the UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football competition contested by the men's national teams of UEFA member associations. The ...
football championships being partly hosted in the city. It is connected to central Porto by metro’s line E.


Public transport


Railways

Porto's main railway station is
Campanhã railway station The Campanhã Railway Station ( pt, Estação Ferroviária de Campanhã) is a 19th-century railway station in the civil parish of Campanhã, in the municipality of Porto, district of Porto. Opened in 1877, it is connected to the Metro do Porto ...
, located in the eastern part of the city and connected to the lines of Douro (Peso da Régua/Tua/Pocinho), Minho (Barcelos/Viana do Castelo/Valença) and centre of Portugal (on the main line to Aveiro,
Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of . The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto Metropolitan Area, Porto, and Bra ...
and
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
). From Campanhã station, both light rail and suburban rail services connect to the city center. The main
central station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...
is São Bento Station, which is itself a notable landmark in the heart of Porto. This station was built between 1900 and 1916, based on plans by architect José Marques da Silva. The large panels of azulejo tile were designed by Jorge Colaço; the murals represent moments in the country's history and rural scenes showing the people of various regions. Porto is connected with
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
via high-speed trains, ''
Alfa Pendular Alfa Pendular is the name of the flagship Pendolino high-speed tilting train of Portuguese state railway company CP. It connects the cities of Guimarães, Braga, Porto, Aveiro, Coimbra, Santarém, Lisbon, Albufeira and Faro, among others at spe ...
'', that cover the distance in 2h 42min. The intercities take slightly more than 3 hours to cover the same distance. In addition, Porto is connected to the Spanish city of
Vigo Vigo ( , , , ) is a city and Municipalities in Spain, municipality in the province of Pontevedra, within the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Spain. Located in the northwest of the Iberian Penins ...
with the
Celta train The Celta train is a train connection from the Portuguese railway operator Comboios de Portugal and the Spanish railway operator Renfe Operadora between Campanhã railway station in Porto (Portugal) and Vigo-Guixar railway station in Vigo (Spai ...
, running twice every day, a 2h 20 min trip.


Light rail

Currently, the major network is the
Porto Metro The Porto Metro ( pt, Metro do Porto), part of the public transport (mass transit) system of Porto, Portugal, is a light rail network that runs underground in central Porto and above ground into the city's suburbs. ''Metro do Porto S.A.'' was f ...
, a light rail system. Consequently, the Infante bridge was built for urban traffic, replacing the Dom Luís I, which was dedicated to the light rail on the second and higher of the bridge's two levels. Six lines are open: lines A (blue), B (red), C (green) and E (purple) all begin at
Estádio do Dragão The Estádio do Dragão (; English: Dragon Stadium) is an all-seater football stadium in Porto, Portugal, and the home ground of FC Porto since 2003. It has a seating capacity of 50,033, making it the third largest football stadium in Portugal ...
(home to
FC Porto Futebol Clube do Porto, MHIH, OM (), commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portu ...
) and terminate at Senhor de Matosinhos,
Póvoa de Varzim Póvoa de Varzim (, ) is a Portuguese city in Northern Portugal and sub-region of Greater Porto, from its city centre. It sits in a sandy coastal plain, a cuspate foreland, halfway between the Minho and Douro rivers. In 2001, there were 63,470 ...
(via
Vila do Conde Vila do Conde (, ; "the Count's Town") is a municipality in the Norte Region of Portugal. The population in 2011 was 79,533, in an area of 149.03 km². The urbanized area of Vila do Conde, which includes the parishes of Vila do Conde, Azurar ...
),
ISMAI ISMAI - ''Instituto Universitário da Maia'' is an institute of higher education formed in 1990 in Maia, Portugal. Academic first degrees: *Psychology *Psychosocial Counseling *Communication Sciences *Physical Education and Sports *Law (solicito ...
(via Maia) and Francisco Sá Carneiro airport respectively. Line D (yellow) currently runs from Hospital S. João in the north to Santo Ovídio on the southern side of the Douro river. Line F (orange), from Senhora da Hora (Matosinhos) to Fânzeres (Gondomar). The lines intersect at the central Trindade station. Currently, the whole network spans using 68 stations, thus being the biggest
urban rail transit Urban rail transit is an all-encompassing term for various types of local rail systems providing passenger service within and around urban or suburban areas. The set of urban rail systems can be roughly subdivided into the following categories, ...
system in the country.


Buses

The city has an extensive
bus network A bus network is a network topology in which nodes are directly connected to a common half-duplex link called a bus. A host on a bus network is called a ''station''. In a bus network, every station will receive all network traffic, and t ...
run by the STCP (Sociedade dos Transportes Colectivos do Porto, or Porto
Public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
Society) which also operates lines in the neighbouring cities of
Gaia In Greek mythology, Gaia (; from Ancient Greek , a poetical form of , 'land' or 'earth'),, , . also spelled Gaea , is the personification of the Earth and one of the Greek primordial deities. Gaia is the ancestral mother—sometimes parthenog ...
, Maia, Matosinhos, Gondomar and Valongo. Other smaller companies connect such towns as
Paços de Ferreira Paços de Ferreira () is a city in the Porto District, in the north of Portugal. The population of the city in 2011 was 7491, while its municipality had 56,340 inhabitants, in an area of 70.99 km². Sometimes referred to as the ''Capital do ...
and
Santo Tirso Santo Tirso () is a city and municipality located in the north of Porto Metropolitan Area, 25 km from central Porto, Portugal. In the region, the Ave Valley, there is a large center of textile industry. The population in 2011 was 71,530, in ...
to the town center. In the past, the city also had
trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...
es. A bus journey is 2.00 €, which must be paid in cash.


Trams

A tram (streetcar) network, of which only three lines remain one of them being a tourist line on the shores of the Douro, saw its construction begin on 12 September 1895, therefore being the first in the
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...
. The lines in operation all use vintage tramcars, so the service has become a heritage tramway. STCP also operates these routes as well as a tram museum. The first line of the area's modern-tram, or light rail system, named ''
Metro do Porto The Porto Metro ( pt, Metro do Porto), part of the public transport (mass transit) system of Porto, Portugal, is a light rail network that runs underground in central Porto and above ground into the city's suburbs. ''Metro do Porto S.A.'' was ...
'', opened for revenue service in January 2003 (after a brief period of free, introductory service in December 2002).


Porto public transportation statistics

The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Porto, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 47 minutes. About 6.5% of public transit riders ride for more than two hours every day. The average time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 12 minutes, while 17.4% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people ride in a single trip with public transit is 6 km, while 5% travel for over 12 km in a single direction.


Culture

In 2001, Porto shared the designation European Culture Capital with
Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
. In the scope of these events, the construction of the major concert hall space
Casa da Música The Casa da Música is a concert hall in Porto, Portugal. It was designed by architect Rem Koolhaas and opened in 2005. Designed to mark the festive year of 2001 in which the city of Porto was designated European Capital of Culture, it was the ...
, designed by the Dutch architect
Rem Koolhaas Remment Lucas Koolhaas (; born 17 November 1944) is a Dutch architect, architectural theorist, urbanist and Professor in Practice of Architecture and Urban Design at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. He is often cited as a re ...
, was initiated and finished in 2005. The first Portuguese moving pictures were taken in Porto by Aurélio da Paz dos Reis and shown there on 12 November 1896 in the Teatro do Príncipe Real do Porto, less than a year after the first public presentation by
Auguste and Louis Lumière The Lumière brothers (, ; ), Auguste Marie Louis Nicolas Lumière (19 October 1862 – 10 April 1954) and Louis Jean Lumière (5 October 1864 – 6 June 1948), were French manufacturers of photography equipment, best known for their ''Ciném ...
. The country's first
movie studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the production ...
s Invicta Filmes was also erected in Porto in 1917 and was open from 1918 to 1927 in the area of Carvalhido. Manoel de Oliveira, a Portuguese film director and the oldest director in the world to be active until his death in 2015, was from Porto.
Fantasporto Fantasporto, also known as Fantas, is an international film festival, annually organized since 1981 in Porto, Portugal. Giving screen space to Fantasy film, fantasy/Science fiction film, science fiction/Horror film, horror-oriented commercial fe ...
is an international film festival organized in Porto every year. The
DCEU The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ap ...
film '' The Suicide Squad'' (2021) written and directed by
James Gunn James Francis Gunn Jr. (born August 5, 1966) is an American filmmaker and executive. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with ''Tromeo and Juliet'' (1997). He then began working as a directo ...
based on a
Suicide Squad The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
story, shows the city twice in the movie, in which shows us
Daniela Melchior Daniela Melchior ((); born November 1, 1996) is a Portuguese actress. After beginning her career in her home country, she garnered worldwide attention with her English-language debut as Ratcatcher 2 in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film '' Th ...
a Portuguese actress, who portrays
Ratcatcher 2 The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on superhero films and other series starring various titular superheroes produced by DC Films, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, and based on ch ...
in which the character is the heart of the film, a
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
version of Ratcatcher. Many renowned
Portuguese music Portuguese music includes many different styles and genres, as a result of its history. These can be broadly divided into classical music, traditional/folk music and popular music and all of them have produced internationally successful acts, with ...
artists and cult bands such as GNR,
Rui Veloso Rui Manuel Gaudêncio Veloso ComIH (born 30 July 1957) is a Portuguese singer-songwriter and musician. Commonly called "The father of Portuguese rock" (Portuguese: ''O pai do rock português''), Veloso was a major figure in the boom of Portugues ...
,
Sérgio Godinho Sérgio de Barros Godinho OL (; born 31 August 1945) is a Portuguese singer-songwriter, composer, actor, poet and author. Considered one of the most influential popular musicians in Portugal, Godinho started his music career singing folk songs o ...
,
Clã Clã is a Portuguese pop rock band of a mixed nature in terms of style, ranging from moments of pure balladry, through jazzy details, to enthusiastic pop songs. Biography The band was formed in November 1992 in the city of Porto, consisting of ...
,
Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the S ...
, Azeitonas and
Ornatos Violeta Ornatos Violeta are a Portuguese rock band from Porto. The band, often referred to simply as Ornatos, consists of vocalist Manel Cruz, bassist Nuno Prata, guitarist Peixe and drummer Kinörm, with Elísio Donas at the keyboard. Their main period ...
are from the city or its metropolitan area. Porto has several museums, concert halls, theaters, cinemas,
art galleries An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The lon ...
, libraries and bookshops. The best-known museums of Porto are the
National Museum Soares dos Reis Soares dos Reis National Museum ( pt, Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis) is a museum, currently housed in the Carrancas Palace situated in the civil parish of Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória, in the northern Portu ...
(''Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis''), which is dedicated especially to the Portuguese
artistic movements An art movement is a tendency or style in art with a specific common philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a specific period of time, (usually a few months, years or decades) or, at least, with the heyday of the movement defi ...
from the 16th to the 20th century, and the Museum of Contemporary Art of the
Serralves Foundation Serralves is a cultural institution located in Porto, Portugal. It includes a Contemporary Art Museum, a Park, and a Villa, each one an example of contemporary architecture, Modernism, and Art Deco architecture. The Museum, designed by Álvaro S ...
(''Museu de Arte Contemporânea''). The city has concert halls such as the
Coliseu do Porto The Coliseum of Porto ( pt, Coliseu do Porto) is a Portuguese theatre and concert venue in the municipality of Porto, in northern Portugal, with a capacity for a standing audience of 4000. A leading venue for music and cultural events in Porto, t ...
by the Portuguese architect Cassiano Branco, an example of the Portuguese
decorative arts ] The decorative arts are arts or crafts whose object is the design and manufacture of objects that are both beautiful and functional. It includes most of the arts making objects for the interiors of buildings, and interior design, but not usual ...
. Other notable venues include the historical
São João National Theatre The São João Theatre ( pt, Teatro São João), commonly referred to as the ''São João National Theatre'' is a Portuguese theatre and concert venue in civil parish of Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória, in the ...
, the ''Rivoli'' theatre, the '' Batalha cinema'' and ''
Casa da Música The Casa da Música is a concert hall in Porto, Portugal. It was designed by architect Rem Koolhaas and opened in 2005. Designed to mark the festive year of 2001 in which the city of Porto was designated European Capital of Culture, it was the ...
'', inaugurated in 2005. The city has the Lello Bookshop, which is frequently rated among the top bookstores in the world. Porto houses the largest synagogue in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the largest in Europe –
Kadoorie Synagogue The Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue ( pt, Sinagoga do Porto/Sinagoga Kadoorie Mekor Haim) is a synagogue of the Jewish community of Porto, situated in the civil parish of Lordelo do Ouro e Massarelos, the municipality of Porto, in the Portuguese nort ...
, inaugurated in 1938.


Entertainment

Porto's most popular event is St. John ( São João Festival) on the night of 23–24 June. In this season it's a tradition to have a vase with bush basil decorated with a small poem. During the dinner of the great day, people usually eat sardines and boiled potatoes together with
red wine Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties. The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines. The juice from most purple grap ...
. Another major event is
Queima das Fitas The Queima das Fitas (Portuguese for ''Ribbon Burning'') is a traditional festivity of the students of some Portuguese universities, organized originally by the students of the University of Coimbra. History The first ''Queima das Fitas'' was or ...
, which starts on the first Sunday of May and ends on the second Sunday of the month. Basically, before the beginning of the study period preceding the school year's last exams,
academia An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...
tries to have as much fun as possible. The week has 12 major events, starting with the Monumental Serenata on Sunday, and reaching its peak with the Cortejo Académico on Tuesday, when about 50,000 students of the city's higher education institutions march through the downtown streets till they reach the city hall. During every night of the week, a series of concerts takes place on the Queimódromo, next to the city's park, where it is also a tradition for the students in their second-to-last year to erect small tents where
alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...
is sold to finance the trip that takes place during the last year of their course of study; an average of 50,000 students attend these events. Porto was considered the fourth-best value destination for 2012, by Lonely Planet.


Arts

Porto was the birthplace in 1856 of
Susanna Roope Dockery Susanna Roope Dockery (1856-1927) was an English watercolour painter who lived both in England and in the city of Porto in Portugal. She mainly painted scenes of rural life in Portugal. Background Susanna Roope Dockery was born in Porto, the da ...
, an Anglo-Portuguese watercolour painter who produced many paintings of the city and the people and landscape of the surrounding rural areas. An Englishman, Frederick William Flower, moved to Porto in 1834 at the age of 19 to work in the wine trade and subsequently became a pioneer of photography in Portugal. Like Dockery, he drew his inspiration from the city, the Douro river and the rural areas. In 2005, the municipality funded a
public sculpture Public art is art in any media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and physically access ...
to be built in the Waterfront Plaza of
Matosinhos Matosinhos, Porto, Portugal () is a city and a municipality in the northern Porto district of Portugal, bordered in the south by the city of Porto (8 km from the city centre). The population in 2011 was 175,478, and covered an area of approx ...
. The resulting sculpture is entitled '' She Changes'' by American artist, Janet Echelman, and spans the height of 50 × 150 × 150 metres.


Architecture

Due to its long history, the city of Porto carries immense architectural patrimony. From the Romanesque
Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
to the Social Housing projects developed through the late 20th century, much could be said surrounding architecture. Porto is home to the Porto School of Architecture, one of the most prestigious architecture schools in Europe and the world. It is also home to two earners of the
Pritzker Architecture Prize The Pritzker Architecture Prize is an international architecture award presented annually "to honor a living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produ ...
(two former students of the aforementioned
school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...
):
Álvaro Siza Vieira Álvaro Joaquim de Melo Siza Vieira (born 25 June 1933) is a Portuguese architect, and architectural educator. He is internationally known as Álvaro Siza () and in Portugal as Siza Vieira (). Early life and education Siza was born in Matosin ...
and
Eduardo Souto de Moura Eduardo Elísio Machado Souto de Moura (; born 25 July 1952), better known as Eduardo Souto de Moura, is a Portuguese architect who was the recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2011 and the Wolf Prize in Arts in 2013. Along with Ferna ...
. This historic area includes the cathedral with its Romanesque choir, the neoclassical Stock Exchange and the Manueline-style Church of Santa Clara. The entire historic centre has been a National Monument since 2001 under Law No. 107/2001. The "Historic Centre of Porto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar" is a Unesco World Heritage site.


Gastronomy

Porto is home to a number of dishes from traditional
Portuguese cuisine The oldest known book on Portuguese cuisine, entitled ''Livro de Cozinha da Infanta D. Maria de Portugal'', from the 16th century, describes many popular dishes of meat, fish, poultry and others. ''Culinária Portuguesa'', by António-Maria De O ...
. A typical dish from this city is ''
Tripas à Moda do Porto Tripas à moda do Porto or dobrada à moda do Porto in Portuguese cuisine is a dish of beef stomach made with tripe with white beans, carrots and rice. It is considered the traditional dish of the city of Porto, in Portugal, and widely known acros ...
'' (
Tripe Tripe is a type of edible lining from the stomachs of various farm animals. Most tripe is from cattle, pigs and sheep. Types of tripe Beef tripe Beef tripe is made from the muscle wall (the interior mucosal lining is removed) of a cow's st ...
Porto style). ''
Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá is a casserole of bacalhau, potatoes, eggs, olives, olive oil, and onion. It is a specialty of the northern Portuguese city of Porto. Origin of the name Gomes de Sá was the son of a rich 19th century merchant (apparentl ...
'' (cod in the style of Gomes de Sá) is another typical
cod Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...
fish dish born in Porto and popular in Portugal. The ''
Francesinha Francesinha ( meaning ''Frenchie'') is a Portuguese sandwich originally from Porto, made with bread, wet-cured ham, linguiça, fresh sausage like chipolata, steak or roast meat, and covered with melted cheese and a hot and thick spiced tomato ...
'' is the most popular native snack food in Porto. It is a kind of sandwich with several types of meat covered with cheese and a special sauce made with beer and other ingredients. Rojões (fried pork meat) and sarrabulho (pig blood-based dish) are also typical dishes of Norte Region which are very popular in the regional capital, the city of Porto. Like in almost all coastal areas of the Portuguese littoral with wide availability of fresh fish,
sardinha assada Sardines ("pilchards") are a nutrient-rich, small, oily fish widely consumed by humans and as forage fish by larger fish species, seabirds and marine mammals. Sardines are a source of omega-3 fatty acids. Sardines are often served in cans, but ca ...
(grilled sardine) is also an usual, classic main dish.
Port wine Port wine (also known as vinho do Porto, , or simply port) is a Portuguese wine, Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro, Douro Valley of Norte, Portugal, northern Portugal. It is typically a sweetness of wine, sweet red wine, often ...
, an internationally renowned wine, is widely accepted as the city's
dessert wine Dessert wines, sometimes called pudding wines in the United Kingdom, are sweet wines typically served with dessert. There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal ...
, especially as the wine is made along the
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 o ...
River, which runs through the city.


Education

The city has a large number of public and private elementary and secondary schools, as well as kindergartens and nurseries. The oldest and largest international school located in Porto is the Oporto British School, established in 1894. There are more international schools in the city, such as the French School, the Deutsche Schule zu Porto, and the Oporto International School, which were created in the 20th century.


Higher education

Porto has several institutions of higher education, the largest one being the state-managed University of Porto (''Universidade do Porto''), which is the second largest Portuguese university, after the
University of Lisbon The University of Lisbon (ULisboa; pt, Universidade de Lisboa, ) is a public research university in Lisbon, and the largest university in Portugal. It was founded in 2013, from the merger of two previous public universities located in Lisbon, th ...
, with approximately 28,000 students and considered one of the 100 best Universities in Europe. There is also a state-managed
polytechnic Polytechnic is most commonly used to refer to schools, colleges, or universities that qualify as an institute of technology or vocational university also sometimes called universities of applied sciences. Polytechnic may also refer to: Educatio ...
institute, the
Instituto Politécnico do Porto The Instituto Politécnico do Porto (Polytechnic University of Porto), also referred to as Politécnico do Porto (Porto Polytechnic) and P.PORTO (since 2016, for naming and branding purposes), is a composition of multiple polytechnic schools base ...
(a group of technical colleges), and private institutions like the
Lusíada University of Porto The Lusíada University - North (''former Universidade Lusíada do Porto'') is a Portuguese private university located in Porto and founded in 1991. Organization Currently 3 374 students attend the courses provided by ULP's three faculties and tw ...
,
Universidade Fernando Pessoa Fernando Pessoa University (UFP; Portuguese: ''Universidade Fernando Pessoa'') is a private university located in Porto and Ponte de Lima, Portugal. It was founded in 1996 and named after Fernando Pessoa, a famous Portuguese writer and poet. Co ...
(UFP), the Porto's Higher Education School of Arts (''ESAP- Escola Superior Artística do Porto'') and a
Vatican state Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...
university, the
Portuguese Catholic University The Catholic University of Portugal (Portuguese: ''Universidade Católica Portuguesa'', pronounced nivɨɾsiˈðad(ɨ) kɐˈtɔlikɐ puɾtuˈɣezɐ, also referred to as Católica or UCP for short, is a concordat university (non-state-run univers ...
in Porto (''Universidade Católica Portuguesa – Porto'') and the Portucalense University in Porto (''Universidade Portucalense – Infante D. Henrique''). Due to the recognition, potential for employment and higher revenue, there are many students from the entire country, particularly from the north of Portugal, attending a college or university in Porto. For foreigners wishing to study Portuguese in the city there are a number of options. As the most popular city in Portugal for
ERASMUS Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' wa ...
students, most universities have facilities to assist foreigners in learning the language. There are also several private language learning institutions in the city.


Sport

Porto, in addition to football stadia since football is by far the most popular sport in Porto and across the entire country, is home to many athletic sports arenas, most notably the city-owned
Super Bock Arena The Super Bock Arena (Pavilhão Rosa Mota) is a cultural and sports arena in Porto, Portugal. History The pavilion opened in 1954. It was previously known as Pavilhão dos Desportos. In 1991, it was renamed after Portuguese, European, World and ...
(formerly Pavilhão Rosa Mota), swimming pools in the area of ''Constituição'' (between the ''Marquês'' and ''Boavista''), and other minor arenas, such as the ''Pavilhão do Académico'', as well as to other sports fields. These sports arenas, swimming pools and sports fields are used for the practice of sports, including varsity and competitive professional sports, in a diversity of sport disciplines ranging from handball, basketball, futsal and field hockey to rink hockey, volleyball, water polo and rugby. Porto is home to northern Portugal's only
Cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
club, the
Oporto Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club The Oporto Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club is a multi-sports and social club located on Campo Alegre in Porto, Portugal. It was founded in 1855 by the British people working in Porto. Initially founded as Oporto Cricket Club, it is the oldest crick ...
. Annually, for more than 100 years, a match (the
Kendall Cup {{Short description, Cricket cup in Portugal The Kendall Cup is the trophy awarded to the winners of a 2-day cricket match between representative teams from Lisbon and Porto, in Portugal, played alternately in the two cities. While this match had b ...
) has been played between the Porto Club and the Casuals Club of
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
, in addition to regular games against touring teams (mainly from England). The club's pitch is located off the ''Rua Campo Alegre''. In 1958 and 1960, Porto's streets hosted the Formula One
Portuguese Grand Prix The Portuguese Grand Prix (''Grande Prémio de Portugal'') is a motorsports event that was first held in 1951 as a sportscar event, and then intermittently disappearing for many years before being revived again. In 1964 event was held as a spo ...
on the Boavista street circuit, which are reenacted annually, in addition to a
World Touring Car Championship The FIA World Touring Car Championship was an international touring car championship promoted by Eurosport Events and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It has had several different incarnations, including a sin ...
race. Every year in October the
Porto Marathon The Porto Marathon is an annual marathon race in the city of Porto, Portugal, held in October or November, since 2004. Along with the marathon, several races of shorter distances are arranged as well. The marathon is sponsored by Energias de Portu ...
is held through the streets of the old city of Porto.


Football

As in most Portuguese cities,
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
is the most popular sport. There are two main teams in Porto:
FC Porto Futebol Clube do Porto, MHIH, OM (), commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portu ...
in the parish of
Campanhã Campanhã () is a Portuguese ''freguesia'' ("civil parish"), located in the city of 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. Por ...
, in the eastern part of the city and Boavista in the area of Boavista in the parish of
Ramalde Ramalde () is a Portuguese civil parish of the municipality of Porto. The population in 2011 was 38,012,
, in the western part of the city, close to the city centre. FC Porto is one of the " Big Three" teams in the main Portuguese football league, and was European champion in 1987 and 2004, won the UEFA Cup (2003) and Europa League (2011) and the Intercontinental Toyota Cup in 1987 and 2004. Boavista have won the championship once, in the 2000–01 season and reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 2003, where they lost 2–1 to
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
. Formerly, Salgueiros from Paranhos was a regular first division club during the 1980s and 1990s but, due to financial indebtedness, the club folded in the 2000s. The club was refounded in 2008 and began playing at the regional level. They now play at the third level of Portugal's national football pyramid. The biggest stadiums in the city are FC Porto's
Estádio do Dragão The Estádio do Dragão (; English: Dragon Stadium) is an all-seater football stadium in Porto, Portugal, and the home ground of FC Porto since 2003. It has a seating capacity of 50,033, making it the third largest football stadium in Portugal ...
and Boavista's
Estádio do Bessa The Estádio do Bessa (now ''Estádio do Bessa Sec. XXI'') is a football stadium located in the Boavista area of Porto Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Penins ...
. The first team in Porto to own a stadium was Académico, who played in the ''Estádio do Lima'', Académico was one of the eight teams to dispute the first division. Salgueiros, sold the grounds of
Estádio Engenheiro Vidal Pinheiro Estádio Engenheiro Vidal Pinheiro was a multi-use stadium in Porto, Portugal. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home stadium of S.C. Salgueiros. The stadium was able to hold 11,000 people. It was demolished in 2006 to make wa ...
field to the
Porto Metro The Porto Metro ( pt, Metro do Porto), part of the public transport (mass transit) system of Porto, Portugal, is a light rail network that runs underground in central Porto and above ground into the city's suburbs. ''Metro do Porto S.A.'' was f ...
and planned on building a new field in the ''Arca d'Água'' area of Porto. Located a few hundred metres away from the old grounds, it became impossible to build on this plot of land due to a large underground water pocket, and, consequently, they moved to the
Estádio do Mar 300 px, Estádio do Mar - Main stand Estádio do Mar is a multi-use stadium in Matosinhos, Portugal. It is used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Leixões The Port of Leixões ( pt, Porto de Leixões, ) is one of Portugal ...
(owned by
Leixões S.C. Leixões Sport Club, commonly known as Leixões (), is a Portuguese sports club from Matosinhos. It is organised into several departments for many sports, such as football, boxing, karate, volleyball, swimming and billiards. It is most well kno ...
) in the neighboring
Matosinhos Matosinhos, Porto, Portugal () is a city and a municipality in the northern Porto district of Portugal, bordered in the south by the city of Porto (8 km from the city centre). The population in 2011 was 175,478, and covered an area of approx ...
municipality. For the
Euro 2004 The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2004, was the 12th edition of the UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football competition contested by the men's national teams of UEFA member associations. The ...
football competition, held in Portugal, the Estádio do Dragão was built (replacing the old
Estádio das Antas The Estádio das Antas (officially Estádio do Futebol Clube do Porto) was the third (and longest occupied) stadium of the Portuguese football side FC Porto. It was in use from 1952 to 2004, replacing the earlier Campo da Constituição, 1.6km (1 ...
) and the Estádio do Bessa was renovated.


Basketball

The FC Porto's basketball team plays its home games at the Dragão Caixa. Its squad won the second most championships in the history of Portugal's 1st Division. Traditionally, the club provides the
Portuguese national basketball team The Portugal men's national basketball team ( pt, Seleção Portuguesa de Basquetebol) represents Portugal in international basketball competition. The team is controlled by the Portuguese Basketball Federation. Portugal doesn't have much histo ...
with numerous key players.


Twin towns – sister cities

Porto is twinned with: *
Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
, Belgium (1977) *
Ndola Ndola is the third largest city in Zambia and third in terms of size and population, with a population of 475,194 (''2010 census provisional''), after the capital, Lusaka, and Kitwe, and the second largest in terms of infrastructure development aft ...
, Zambia (1978) *
Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...
, Japan (1978) *
Recife That it may shine on all ( Matthew 5:15) , image_map = Brazil Pernambuco Recife location map.svg , mapsize = 250px , map_caption = Location in the state of Pernambuco , pushpin_map = Brazil#South A ...
, Brazil (1981) *
Jena Jena () is a German city and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, while the city itself has a popu ...
, Germany (1984) *
Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
, England, UK (1984) *
Vigo Vigo ( , , , ) is a city and Municipalities in Spain, municipality in the province of Pontevedra, within the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Spain. Located in the northwest of the Iberian Penins ...
, Spain (1986) * Beira, Mozambique (1989) *
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
, France (1990) *
Duruelo de la Sierra Duruelo de la Sierra is a municipality of Spain, in the province of Soria, Autonomous Community of Castile and León (Spanish ''Comunidad Autónoma de Castilla y León''). Population Duruelo de la Sierra has an area of 44.55 km², with a ...
, Spain (1989) * São Vicente, Cape Verde (1993) * Lembá, São Tomé and Príncipe (1994) *
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
, China (1995) *
Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
, China (1997) *
Luanda Luanda () is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Angola's administrative centre, its chief seaport ...
, Angola (1999) * León, Spain (2001) * Santos, Brazil (2015) *
Guatemala city Guatemala City ( es, Ciudad de Guatemala), known locally as Guatemala or Guate, is the capital and largest city of Guatemala, and the most populous urban area in Central America. The city is located in the south-central part of the country, nest ...
, Guatemala (2015) *
Shenzhen Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major sub-provincial city and one of the special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern province ...
, China (2016) *
Marsala Marsala (, local ; la, Lilybaeum) is an Italian town located in the Province of Trapani in the westernmost part of Sicily. Marsala is the most populated town in its province and the fifth in Sicily. The town is famous for the docking of Gius ...
, Italy (2016) *
Timișoara ), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor) , image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg , map_caption = Location in Timiș County , pushpin_map = Romania#Europe , pushpin_ ...
, Romania (2018)


Notable people


Explorers and public service

*
Prince Henry the Navigator ''Dom'' Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator ( pt, Infante Dom Henrique, o Navegador), was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15t ...
(1394–1460), responsible for the early development of European exploration and maritime trade with other continents. *
Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia was a 15th-century Portuguese nautical explorer. He explored much of the coast of Western Sahara in 1435–1436 on behalf of the Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator. He would later become one of the first colonists ...
(1415–1481), nautical explorer *
Pêro Vaz de Caminha Pêro Vaz de Caminha (c. 1450 – 15 December 1500; , ; also spelled Pedro Vaz de Caminha) was a Portuguese knight that accompanied Pedro Álvares Cabral to India in 1500 as a secretary to the royal factory. Caminha wrote the detailed official r ...
(1450–1500), wrote the letter '' Carta do Achamento do Brasil'', announcing the discovery of Brazil *
Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the East ...
(c. 1480–1521), the globe circumnavigation navigator; lived and studied in Porto *
Estêvão Gomes Estêvão Gomes, also known by the Spanish version of his name, Esteban Gómez (c. 1483 – 1538), was a Portuguese cartography, cartographer and explorer. He sailed at the service of Crown of Castile, Castile (Spain) in the fleet of Ferdinand M ...
(c. 1483–1538), cartographer and explorer * Duarte Coelho (c. 1485–1554), nobleman, military leader, colonial administrator and founder of
Olinda Olinda () is a historic city in Pernambuco, Brazil, in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region. It is located on the country's northeastern Atlantic Ocean coast, in the Recife metropolitan area, Metropolitan Region of Recife, the state capi ...
in Brazil *
Brás Cubas Brás Cubas (Porto, December 1507 — Porto, 1592) was a Portuguese nobleman, explorer and the founder of the village of Santos (a city today). The son of João Pires Cubas and Isabel Nunes, he was twice governor of the Captaincy of São Vic ...
(1507–1589), explorer, colonial administrator and founder of Santos in Brazil *
Inácio de Azevedo Inácio de Azevedo (1526–1570) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese Jesuit missionary. He is one of the :pt:Quarenta Mártires do Brasil#targetText=Os Quarenta Mártires do Brasil,liderados por Inácio de Azevedo., Forty Martyrs of Brazil, beati ...
(1526–1570), Jesuit missionary * Sir John Croft, 1st Baronet (1778–1862), English diplomat and spy for Wellington against Napoleon *
António Pinto Soares António Pinto Soares (1780 – April 6, 1865) was Head of State of Costa Rica from September 11 to September 27, 1842. He led the popular uprising that overthrew Francisco Morazán on September 11, 1842, and served as Head of State until Septem ...
(1780–1865),
Head of State of Costa Rica The following is the list of all the heads of state of Costa Rica. The current Constitution establishes that the President of Costa Rica is both head of state and head of government, and the current officeholder is Rodrigo Chaves Robles of the ...
in 1842 *Sir
William Warre Lt.-General Sir William Warre (15 April 1784 – 26 July 1853) was an English officer of the British Army. He saw service in the Peninsular War and was colonel of the 94th Foot. Early life and education Warre was born in Porto, Portugal, the ...
(1784–1853), English officer of the British Army *
Charles Albert of Sardinia Charles Albert (; 2 October 1798 – 28 July 1849) was the King of Sardinia from 27 April 1831 until 23 March 1849. His name is bound up with the first Italian constitution, the Albertine Statute, and with the First Italian War of Independence ...
(1798–1849), Italian monarch; died here *
António da Silva Porto António Francisco Ferreira da Silva Porto (24 August 1817 – 2 April 1890) was a Portuguese trader and explorer in Angola, in the Portuguese West Africa. Biography Silva Porto was born to a poor family in Porto in continental Portugal; h ...
(1817–1890), trader and explorer in Angola *
Venceslau de Lima Venceslau de Sousa Pereira de Lima, ComTe, GCTE, ComSE, GCSE, ComC, GCC, ComNSC, GCNSC (15 November 1858 in Porto – 24 December 1919 in Lisbon), also known as Venceslau de Lima and anglicized as Wenceslau de Sousa Pereira de Lima or Wen ...
(1858–1919), geologist, paleontologist, viticulturist and politician, the
Prime Minister of Portugal The prime minister of Portugal ( pt, primeiro-ministro; ) is the head of government of Portugal. As head of government, the prime minister coordinates the actions of ministers, represents the Government of Portugal to the other bodies of state, ...
in 1909 *
Mary of the Divine Heart Mary of the Divine Heart (Münster, 8 September 1863 – Porto, 8 June 1899), born Maria Droste zu Vischering, was a German Uradel, noblewoman and Catholic Church, Roman Catholic religious sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the ...
(1863–1899), countess Droste zu Vischering and Mother Superior of the Good Shepherd Sisters Convent; died here *
António Ferreira Gomes António Ferreira Gomes, GCSE, GCL (Milhundos, Penafiel, 10 May 1906 - Ermesinde, 13 April 1989) was a Portuguese Roman Catholic bishop, and is considered one of the most notable figures of Portuguese Catholic hierarchy in the 20th century. H ...
(1906–1989), Roman Catholic
bishop of Porto The Portuguese Roman Catholic Diocese of Porto ( la, Dioecesis Portugallensis) (Oporto) is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Braga. Its see at Porto is in the Norte region, and the second largest city in Portugal. History The diocese was pro ...
*
Kaúlza de Arriaga Kaúlza de Oliveira de Arriaga, OA, GCC, OC, OIH (18 January 1915 – 2 February 2004) was a Portuguese general, writer, professor and politician. He was Secretary of State (junior minister) of the Air Force between 1953 and 1955 and commande ...
(1915–2004),
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
general, writer, professor and politician * Maria de Lourdes Belchior Pontes (1923–1998) a writer, poet,
professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
and diplomat *
Francisco de Sá Carneiro Francisco Manuel Lumbrales de Sá Carneiro, GCTE, GCC, GCL (; 19 July 19344 December 1980) was a Portuguese politician, Prime Minister of Portugal for most of 1980, and founder of the Social Democratic Party. He only held office of Prime Mi ...
(1934–1980) – politician,
Prime Minister of Portugal The prime minister of Portugal ( pt, primeiro-ministro; ) is the head of government of Portugal. As head of government, the prime minister coordinates the actions of ministers, represents the Government of Portugal to the other bodies of state, ...
in 1980 *
Manuel Clemente Manuel José Macário do Nascimento Clemente, GCC (; born 16 July 1948), officially Manuel III, is a Portuguese prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been the Metropolitan Patriarch of Lisbon since 18 May 2013 and a cardinal since 14 February ...
(born 1948) a
cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
of the Catholic Church, the Metropolitan
Patriarch of Lisbon The Patriarch of Lisbon ( la, Patriarcha Olisiponensis, pt, Patriarca de Lisboa), also called the Cardinal-Patriarch of Lisbon once he has been made cardinal, is the ordinary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lisbon. He is one of the ...
since 2013 and
bishop of Porto The Portuguese Roman Catholic Diocese of Porto ( la, Dioecesis Portugallensis) (Oporto) is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Braga. Its see at Porto is in the Norte region, and the second largest city in Portugal. History The diocese was pro ...
in 2007–2013 * José Pacheco Pereira (born 1949), politician, professor and political analyst *
Alexandre Quintanilha Alexandre Tiedtke Quintanilha, GOSE (born August 9, 1945 in Lourenço Marques (now Maputo), Mozambique) is a Portuguese scientist, former director of the Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology) of the U ...
(born 1945), scientist and Member of Parliament, lives in Porto * Rui Moreira (born 1956), businessman and politician, Mayor of Porto *
Augusto Santos Silva Augusto Ernesto dos Santos Silva (born 20 August 1956) is a Portuguese sociologist, university professor, and politician who has been the President of the Assembly of the Republic since 2022, in the 15th Legislature. From November 2015 to Ma ...
(born 1956), sociologist, academic, politician and
Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
*
Rui Rio Rui Fernando da Silva Rio (born 6 August 1957) is a Portuguese economist and politician of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). He was the Mayor of Porto from 2002 to 2013. Between 2018 and 2022, he was President of the PSD and Leader of the Opp ...
(born 1957), politician, Mayor of Porto 2002–2013 *
Diogo Vasconcelos Diogo Vasconcelos (May 16, 1968 - July 8, 2011) was a Portuguese politician, who focused his work on innovation and on the fundamental role of ICT and next generation broadband for fostering innovation and supporting new decentralized models to a ...
(1968–2011), politician and social innovator


Arts and sciences

*
Pedro de Escobar Pedro de Escobar (c. 1465 – after 1535), a.k.a. ''Pedro do Porto'', was a Portuguese composer of the Renaissance, mostly active in Spain. He was one of the earliest and most skilled composers of polyphony in the Iberian Peninsula, whose musi ...
(c. 1465 – after 1535), Renaissance composer of
polyphony Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, h ...
*
Daniel de Fonseca Daniel de Fonseca (1672 - ) was a distinguished Portuguese people, Portuguese Marrano Jews, Jew who served as court physician and advisor to several notable European rulers. He used his influence to help secure better treatment of several Jewish co ...
(1672 – c. 1740), Jewish court physician *
Tomás António Gonzaga Tomás António Gonzaga (11 August 1744c. 1810) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian poet. One of the most famous Neoclassic colonial Brazilian writers, he was also the ''ouvidor'' and the ombudsman of the city of Ouro Preto (formerly "Vila Rica" ...
(1744 – c. 1810), Brazilian poet * Vieira Portuense (1765–1805), painter and pioneer of
Neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...
*
Almeida Garrett João Baptista da Silva Leitão de Almeida Garrett, 1st Viscount of Almeida Garrett (; 4 February 1799 – 9 December 1854) was a Portuguese poet, orator, playwright, novelist, journalist, politician, and a peer of the realm. A major promoter of t ...
(1799–1854), writer, theatre director and liberalist *
Júlio Dinis Júlio Dinis, pseudonym of Joaquim Guilherme Gomes Coelho (14 November 1839 – 12 September 1871) was a Portuguese doctor and poet, playwright and novelist. He was the first great novelist of modern Portuguese middle-class society. His novels, ...
(1839–1871), doctor and poet, playwright and novelist *
Arthur Napoleão dos Santos Arthur Napoleão dos Santos (6 March 1843 – 12 May 1925) was a Portuguese composer, pianist, instrument dealer and music publisher. He was brother of Aníbal Napoleão and Alfredo Napoleão. Biography He was born in Porto, Portugal, and gave ...
(1843–1925), composer and pianist *
Annibal Napoleão Annibal Napoleão dos Santos (3 January 1845 or 1846 Enciclopèdia Espasa. Volum núm. 54, pàg, 425 () — 1880) Ernesto Vieira. ''Diccionario biographico de musicos portuguezes'' Lisboa, 1900 was a Portuguese pianist and composer. He was the secon ...
(1845–1880), composer and pianist *
Alfredo Napoleão Alfredo Napoleão dos Santos (31 January 1852, Porto – 20 November 1917, Lisbon)Nancy Lee Harper. Booklet notes' to Hyperion CDA67984 was a Portuguese pianist and composer. He was the youngest of three Napoleão siblings, the others being Arthur ...
(1852–1917), composer and pianist *
Artur Loureiro Artur José de Sousa Loureiro (11 February 1853 – 7 July 1932) was a Portuguese painter.Artur Lo ...
(1853–1932), painter, lived and worked in Porto *
António Nobre António Pereira Nobre (16 August 1867 – 18 March 1900) was a Portugal, Portuguese poet. His masterpiece, ''Só (poem collection), Só'' (Paris, 1892), was the only book he published. Life Northern Portugal Nobre was a member of a wealth ...
(1867–1900), poet, published in 1892, a collection of poems * Abigail de Paiva Cruz (1883–1944), naturalist painter, sculptor and feminist activist *
Guilhermina Suggia Guilhermina Augusta Xavier de Medim Suggia Carteado Mena, known as Guilhermina Suggia, (27 June 1885 – 30 July 1950) was a Portuguese cellist. She studied in Paris, France with Pablo Casals, and built an international reputation. She spent man ...
(1885–1950), cellist, lived and worked in the UK for many years *
Armando de Basto Armando Pereira de Basto (26 May 1889 in Porto – 1923 in Minho Province) was a Portuguese painter, illustrator, sculptor and decorator. Biography He attended the "Escola Superior de Belas-Artes do Porto" from 1903 to 1910, where he studied ...
(1889–1923), painter, illustrator, sculptor and decorator *
Aurora Teixeira de Castro Aurora Teixeira de Castro (18911931) was vice-president in 1926 and 1927 of the feminist ''Conselho Nacional das Mulheres Portuguesas'' (National Council of Portuguese Women). She was a lawyer and notary and the first female notary in Portugal. ...
(1891–1931), feminist, notary and playwright * Manoel de Oliveira (1908–2015), film director and screenwriter *
Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen (6 November 1919 – 2 July 2004) was a Portuguese poet and writer. Her remains have been entombed in the National Pantheon since 2014. Life and career Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen was born on 6 November ...
(1919–2004), poet and writer *
Ana Hatherly Ana Hatherly (8 May 1929 – 5 August 2015) was a Portuguese academic, poet, visual artist, essayist, film maker, painter and writer. She was considered one of the pioneers of the experimental poetry and experimental literature movement in Portuga ...
(1929–2015), poet, visual artist, essayist, film maker, painter and writer *
Álvaro Siza Vieira Álvaro Joaquim de Melo Siza Vieira (born 25 June 1933) is a Portuguese architect, and architectural educator. He is internationally known as Álvaro Siza () and in Portugal as Siza Vieira (). Early life and education Siza was born in Matosin ...
(born 1933), architect and
architectural educator An architectural educator is a person who trains prospective professional Architect, architects and architectural technicians. This involves training in the discipline of Architecture, architectural design or more specifically, the design of const ...
*Maria Antónia Siza (1940–1973), artist *
Alexandre Quintanilha Alexandre Tiedtke Quintanilha, GOSE (born August 9, 1945 in Lourenço Marques (now Maputo), Mozambique) is a Portuguese scientist, former director of the Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology) of the U ...
(born 1945), scientist, academic and politician *
Sérgio Godinho Sérgio de Barros Godinho OL (; born 31 August 1945) is a Portuguese singer-songwriter, composer, actor, poet and author. Considered one of the most influential popular musicians in Portugal, Godinho started his music career singing folk songs o ...
(born 1945), singer-songwriter, composer, actor, poet and author *Armando J. L. Pombeiro, Armando Pombeiro (born 1949), chemical engineer *Miguel Sousa Tavares (born 1952), lawyer, journalist and writer *
Eduardo Souto de Moura Eduardo Elísio Machado Souto de Moura (; born 25 July 1952), better known as Eduardo Souto de Moura, is a Portuguese architect who was the recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2011 and the Wolf Prize in Arts in 2013. Along with Ferna ...
(born 1952), architect and academic *Rui Reininho (born 1955), singer, lead vocalist of rock band GNR *Jorge Chaminé (born 1956), operatic baritone *Richard Zimler (born 1956), novelist, lives and works in Porto *Pedro Abrunhosa (born 1960), singer, songwriter, musician and composer *J. K. Rowling (born 1965), writer who taught English as a foreign language in Porto and lived there in 1991–1993 *Armindo Freitas-Magalhães (born 1966), psychologist and scientist *Mónica de Miranda (born 1976), visual artist, photographer, filmmaker, and researcher *Abel Pereira (musician), Abel Pereira (born 1978), classical horn player *Luciana Abreu (born 1985), singer, actress and television host *Sara Sampaio (born 1991), supermodel *Cláudia Pascoal (born 1994), musician


Business

*Charles Augustus Howell (1840–1890), art dealer and alleged Blackmailer *Fernando Van Zeller Guedes (1903–1987), co-founded Sogrape, the inspiration behind Mateus (wine), Mateus rosé *Belmiro de Azevedo (1938–2017), entrepreneur, industrialist, founder of
Sonae Sonae is a multinational business group based in Maia, Porto District, Portugal. It is present in 90 countries, operating in several sectors, including retail, financial services, shopping centres management, software and information systems, me ...
*Paulo de Azevedo (born 1965), businessman, son and successor of Belmiro de Azevedo *José Neves (born 1974), billionaire entrepreneur and the founder of Farfetch


Sport

*Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa (born 1937), president of
FC Porto Futebol Clube do Porto, MHIH, OM (), commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portu ...
*Humberto Coelho (born 1950), footballer *Fernando Gomes (Portuguese footballer), Fernando Gomes (born 1956), footballer *Rosa Mota (born 1958), marathon runner, Olympic winner *Nuno Marques (born 1970), tennis player *Jorge Costa (born 1971), football player and manager *João Pinto (born 1971), footballer *Miguel Ramos (born 1971), racing driver *Ricardo Sá Pinto (born 1972), football player and manager *Tiago Monteiro (born 1976), racing driver *Petit (Portuguese footballer), Petit (born 1976), football player and manager *André Villas-Boas (born 1977), football manager *Bruno Alves (born 1981), footballer *Raul Meireles (born 1983), footballer *Diogo Leite (footballer, born 1989), Diogo Leite (born 1989), footballer *João Mário (footballer, born January 1993), João Mário (born 1993), footballer *Diogo Jota (born 1996), footballer


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * Francis, A.D. ''John Methuen and the Anglo-Portuguese Treaties of 1703''. The Historical Journal Vol. 3, No. 2 * Glover, Michael, ''The Peninsular War 1807–1814'' Penguin, 1974. * * Loyrette, Henri. ''Gustave Eiffel''. New York: Rizzoli, 1985 * * Redacção Quidnovi, com coordenação de José Hermano Saraiva, ''História de Portugal, Dicionário de Personalidades'', Volume VIII, Ed. QN-Edição e Conteúdos, S.A., 2004 * Smith, Digby, ''The Napoleonic Wars Data Book'' Greenhill, 1998.


External links


Coordination and Development Committee of the North RegionMetropolitan Area of PortoTourism of Porto and Norte Region, Portugal
{{Authority control Porto, Cities in Portugal Populated coastal places in Portugal Municipalities of Porto District Municipalities of Norte Region, Portugal, Cities of Norte Region, Portugal, World Heritage Sites in Portugal Port cities and towns in Portugal Populated places in Porto District Populated places established in the 3rd century BC