Porto's Cathedral
Portuguese history, culture and tradition.
The heart of Porto’s historic centre! A magnificent architecture work, simple and austere. Located on the hill of Penaventosa, this granite fortress is of Romanesque origin. However, its history reveals changes that have erased its primitive traces. Get to know the aspects that mark this admirable monument.
Until the conquest of Lisbon, the Cathedral of Porto was nothing more than a small hermitage, when the first stone was laid. It is said that D. Mafalda, wife of D. Afonso Henriques, pushed for its construction and her son D. Sancho I continued its construction after his father death. The execution of the oldest part, the front and the ambulatory with the side chapels, took place during the reign of King Afonso III.
Built in the highest part of the city, the Cathedral is in the heart of Porto’s historic centre. Its appearance is reminiscent of a medieval fortress, a Romanesque-style fortified church with influences from the Old Cathedral of Coimbra and the French region of Limousin. Its construction took place during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries at the instigation of Bishop D. Hugo but ended up suffering transformations during the Mannerist (XVII) and Baroque (XVIII) periods, changing its original configuration.
Porto's Cathedral - Exterior
On the front façade, which preserves a substantial part of its initial design, there is a new Baroque-inspired portal, and at the top of the towers, the domes and their balustrades are the result of interventions from the same period. The deep renovation carried out in 1722 in the lower part of the façade is remembered in a stone on the architrave of the door. In the middle of the tower on the left side, two elements engraved in the granite are presented – a sign of Solomon, symbol of the Templars, next to the first giant – and a thirteenth-century boat, “coca”, a Nordic creation and the oldest known representation of a vessel in Porto.
On the tower on the right side, when going up the stairs, have a look on the two deep grooves carved into the stone, they are linear measurement patterns used for the commercial exchanges that were made here at the former “Fair Street” by the supervision of the bishop. Standing out on the side façade is “Galilee”, Nicolau Nasoni’s creation. This great Florentine artist provided a Baroque style touch to the cathedral, not only through the design and construction of the Galilee but also through other interventions such as the mural paintings in the chancel.
Porto's Cathedral - Interior
Its interior is divided into three covered naves, all of which rest on arched structures in beams, in the form of pointed vaults. In the central nave, the natural light that enters through the beautiful rose window and side slits elevates the sober grandeur given by the verticality of this nave. Two monumental holy water fonts in pink marble, from the late 17th century, can be found next to the doors. The magnificent bas-relief by the sculptor Teixeira Lopes (father) can be admired in the chapel of the seventeenth-century baptismal font.
The chancel, located at the back of the nave, is from the Mannerist period (1610), where there is a gilded altarpiece (XVIII century), considered a precious example of the Johannine Baroque. The picturesque decoration of the walls is by Nicolau Nasoni, and above the chairs of the chapter there are two pipe organs.
In the transept on the left side, there is the image of Our Lady of Vandoma, patron saint of the city of Porto since 1984 – civitas Virginas. And next to this, in the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, stands out the magnificent silver altar (1632), a fundamental work of Portuguese goldsmithery, presented with an extensive biblical iconography centred on the Eucharist. The legend tells that this altar escaped the pillage of Napoleon’s troops thanks to the construction of a layer of plaster by a sacristan, who hid it. The modern lamp is by Teixeira Lopes. In the transept on the right side is the image of Our Lady of Silva and the Baroque chapel is dedicated to St. Peter.
Gothic Cloister
The Gothic Cloister (1385) is divided into two floors, the first of which consists of four arcades with a passage to the central courtyard. The walls of the enclosure are covered with seven large figurative tile panels by Valentim de Almeida, representing scenes from the “Song of Songs”, in reference to the mystical dialogue between God and the Virgin, patron saint of the Cathedral.
At the courtyard centre is a stone cross, resting on an octagonal platform with three steps, housing the Virgin. On his flowered cross, Christ appears in the front and Our Lady of Mercy in the back. Through the noble staircase (1736) by Nicolau Nasoni, you can access the upper floor. On its baseline is the large bronze bookcase (1616), with the coat of arms of D. Gonçalo de Morais, and the old bell of the city clock (1697, work of D. José Saldanha).
On the second floor you will find a magnificent panoramic view and a set of tile panels depicting countryside and mythological scenes. In the “old cloister” or also known as the “Bishop’s cemetery” there are some archaeological elements of interest. The chapel of S. Vicente (late XVI century) is made on a moderate classic style and guards the tombs of several Bishops of Porto. Also noteworthy is the presence of a remarkable chair from the XVII century that sustain Old and New Testament scenes.
Chapter House
The Chapter House, attached to the cloister and the Cathedral, was built in 1582 and rebuilt in the first quarter of the XVI century. Illustrious religious sculptures (from the XIV to the XVIII century) are revealed on the upper floor, and in the old room of the registry office you can see the tile panels of Vital Rifarto. In the great chapter hall, the highlight goes to the clay ceiling with the paintings of Giovani Battista Pachini (1737), arranged around St. Michael, patron of the Chapter, representing fourteen moral allegories.
The “treasure of the Cathedral” is on display on the middle floor, as well as nine large showcases containing goldsmiths, vestments and liturgical books related to cathedral worship. Also, you can see the artistic sarcophagus in the chapel of St. John the Evangelist, this remarkable tomb chest is of John Gordo, the knight of Malta.
Suggestion
Due to its privileged location on the hill of Pena Ventosa, the Cathedral was initially the centre of all activity during the medieval period. The inner area of the old fence holds the oldest secrets of the medieval village and that you can discover with our Tour 1 – Medieval Porto. Discover the city of Porto and learn about its history and culture with the Walkinporto app.
Schedules - Cathedral
- Summer (April to October): 09h00 - 18h30
- Winter (November to March): 09h00 - 17h30
- Close days: Christmas day and Sunday Easter
Schedules - Cloister
- Summer (April to October): 09h00 - 18h00
- Winter (November to March): 09h00 - 17h00
- Close days: Christmas day and Sunday Easter
Contacts
- Terreiro da Sé, 4050-573 Porto
- catedraldoporto@gmail.com
- +351 222 059 028
Additional Information
- Average Visit Time: 1 hour
- S. Bento Station
Preços
- Church: Free Entrance
- Museum, Cloister e Tower: 3€ (adults)
- Museum, Cloister e Tower: 2€ (students)
- Museum, Cloister e Tower: 2€ (per person in a group of + than 10 people)
- Museum, Cloister e Tower: free (children until 10 years)
- Porto.Card: 1€ discount
