Liberdade Square (''Liberty'' or ''Freedom'' Square; pt, Praça da Liberdade) is a square 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. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
. It is located in
Santo Ildefonso parish, in the lower town (''Baixa'') area. The square is continuous on its north side with the Avenida dos Aliados, an important avenue of the city.
History
The square has its origins in the beginning of the 18th century. It was in 1718 that a project for the urbanisation of the area begun, which resulted in the creation of new streets and an ample square, known as ''Praça Nova'' (New Square). The square was initially limited by the medieval walls of the city and by urban palaces, all of which are now lost.
After 1788, the religious order of
Saint Eligius
Saint Eligius (also Eloy, Eloi or Loye; french: Éloi; 11 June 588 – 1 December 660 AD) is the patron saint of goldsmiths, other metalworkers, and coin collectors. He is also the patron saint of veterinarians, the Royal Electrical and Mechani ...
(known as ''Lóios'', in Portuguese) built a convent on the south side of the square that replaced the medieval wall; the imposing
Neoclassical façade of the convent, nowadays known as the Cardosas Palace (''Palácio das Cardosas'') is the oldest extant building of the square, dominating the south side of the square for over 200 years.
During the 19th century, several factors increased the importance of the square. The municipality moved to a building on the north side of the square after 1819, and towards the end of the century facilities like the
D. Luís Bridge (1887) and
São Bento Train Station (1896) were opened nearby. Liberdade Square was a political, economical and social centre for Porto.
In 1866 a
monument
A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, hist ...
dedicated to
King Peter IV, a monarch closely linked to Porto, was inaugurated in the middle of the square. The
monument
A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, hist ...
, by
French sculptor Anatole Calmels, consists of a statue of Peter IV riding a horse and holding the Constitution that he had fought to protect during the
Liberal Wars
The Liberal Wars (), also known as the Portuguese Civil War (), the War of the Two Brothers () or Miguelite War (), was a war between liberal constitutionalists and conservative absolutists in Portugal over royal succession that lasted from 18 ...
.
The appearance of the square was much altered after 1916, when the municipality building was demolished and the Avenida dos Aliados, a modern boulevard, was built to the north of the square. The buildings around Liberdade Square and the avenues are occupied by banks, hotels, restaurants and offices. It is an important tourist attraction of the city.
Points of interest
* Monument to Pedro IV
*
Banco de Portugal
* Palace of Cardosas
See also
Ribeira Square
The Ribeira Square ( pt, Praça da Ribeira) is a historical square in Porto, Portugal. It is included in the historical centre of the city, designated World Heritage by UNESCO.
History
The square is located in the historical district of Ribei ...
References
Liberdade Square and surrounding area in the Portuguese Institute for Architectonic Heritage.
{{Porto
Squares in Porto