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The Ribeira Square () is a historical square in
The square is located in the historical district of Ribeira (''riverside'' in Portuguese), part of the São Nicolau parish. The Ribeira district spreads alongside the
The Ribeira Square () is a historical square in Porto
Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
, Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
. It is included in the historical centre of the city, designated World Heritage
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
by UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
.
History
The square is located in the historical district of Ribeira (''riverside'' in Portuguese), part of the São Nicolau parish. The Ribeira district spreads alongside the Douro river
The Douro (, , , ; ; ) is the largest river of the Iberian Peninsula by discharge. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish province of Soria, meanders briefly south, then flows generally west through the northern part of the Meseta ...
and used to be a centre of intense commercial and manufacturing activity since the Middle Ages. Also since that time the Ribeira Square was the site of many shops that sold fish, bread, meat and other goods. In 1491 the buildings around the square were destroyed in a fire, and the houses were rebuilt with arcades in their groundfloors. During this rebuilding campaign the square also gained a pavement made of stone slabs.
In the mid-18th century the city needed new urban improvements to provide for the swift flow of goods and people between the Ribeira neighbourhood and other areas of Porto. In this context, governor João de Almada e Melo opened a new street, the São João Street, that connected the Ribeira Square and the upper town, and promoted the reurbanisation of the square itself. The project, executed between 1776 and 1782, is credited to John Whitehead, English consul
Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...
in Porto. The square was to become enclosed on its north, west and east sides by buildings with arcades, while the south side of the square, facing the Douro, was enclosed by the medieval walls (''Muralhas Fernandinas'') of Porto. These walls were torn down in 1821, opening the square to the river.
The Ribeira Square and its surrounding has been classified as Property of Public Interest since 1971.
Points of interest
The northern part of the square has a monumental fountain, three storeys high, built in the 1780s and decorated with thecoat-of-arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achiev ...
of Portugal. The niche of the fountain is occupied by a modern statue of St John the Baptist by sculptor João Cutileiro
João Cutileiro OSE (26 June 1937 – 5 January 2021) was a Portuguese sculptor. He is responsible for a number of controversial female nudes in marble.
Life
Cutileiro was born and died in Lisbon. He was the creator of several pieces of mo ...
. The square also has a modern cubic sculpture by José Rodrigues (nicknamed the ''Cubo da Ribeira'') over the remains of a 17th-century fountain.
Nowadays the Ribeira Square is a favourite spot for tourists.
See also
*Douro
The Douro (, , , ; ; ) is the largest river of the Iberian Peninsula by discharge. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish Soria Province, province of Soria, meanders briefly south, then flows generally west through the northern par ...
* Liberdade Square
* Tourist attractions in Porto
References