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Porto (in English also Oporto; Portuguese pron. IPA *), formerly Portucale, population 263,000 in 15 parishes, with 1,551,950 in the Porto Metropolitan Area, is Portugal's second largest city. It is the seat of the Porto district and capital of the Norte region. It is situated in the north of the country, on the northern bank of the Douro River, just in from the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Porto has a type of mediterranean climate, although its influenced by a cooler breeze from the Atlantic which make it distinguishably cooler than other Mediterranean climate cities but nonetheless during the peak of the Summer, epecially in August, temperatures can reach 40ºC.

The country of Portugal and Port Wine (Portuguese: Vinho do Porto) owe their names to the city of Porto.

One of Portugal's most internationally appreciated products is Port Wine. Its name comes from the fact that it ages in cellars in Porto's southern sister city Vila Nova de Gaia, just across the river Douro. Port Wine gets its distinctive taste from brandy that is added during the fermentation process. This additive causes fermentation to stop, allowing for much of the sweetness of the grape to remain intact. The results of this process were discovered quite by accident by British traders who added the brandy to the wine simply to fortify it for long sea voyages back to England.

Porto is the heart of Greater Porto agglomeration. It is also one of the most industrialised districts in Portugal and the city of Porto in particularly is occasionally called "A capital do norte" (English: "The Capital of the North"), for it serves as the center of the more industrialised (but relatively poorer) northern region of Portugal, and is well known for its enterprising spirit, characteristic culture, people, and local cuisine.

History

Historic references to the city go back to the 4th century and to Roman times, although Celtic and pre-Celtic remnants of ancient Citadels were found in the heart of where Porto now lies. In the period before the foundation of Portugal, it was named Portus Cale - Port of Gaia in English. The surrounding county was thus named Condado Portucalense (English: Portuguese county). This county later became the independent kingdom called Portugal, after eventually expanding to its current frontiers into the south as it reconquered territory back from the invading Moors under the reign of King Dom Afonso Henriques, o Conquistador in the beginning of the first millennium.

This city was the scene for the marriage of João I and Philippa of Lancaster, symbolising the long-standing military alliance between Portugal and England.

In 1754, the Italian architect Nasoni designed a tower that was built in one of the central zones of the city and became its icon: Torre dos Clérigos (English: Tower of Clerics).

During the 18th and 19th centuries the city became an important industrial centre and saw its size and population increase. A two-level iron bridge - Dom Luís I - (designed by the Belgian engineer Téophile Seyrig) and student of Eiffel, and a railway bridge - Maria Pia - designed by Gustave Eiffel, in association with Seyrig, were constructed, as well as the central railway station (São Bento, considered to be one of the most beautiful in Europe ornamented with lavish painted tiles). An higher learning institution in nautical sciences (Aula de Náutica, 1762) and a stock exchange (Bolsa do Porto, 1834) were established in the city and would be discontinued later.

For having bravely resisted a military invasion in the 19th century by the Imperial Napoleonic Armies, and never been conquered by either attempts by the Moors or, militarily, even the Romans, the city is now known as The Unvanquished City (A Cidade Invicta).

Culture

The first Portuguese moving pictures were taken in Porto by Aurélio da Paz dos Reis and shown there in 12 November 1896 in Teatro do Príncipe Real do Porto, less than a year after the first public presentation by Auguste and Louis Lumière. Manoel de Oliveira a Portuguese well known film director and the oldest director in the world who is still active is from Porto. Fantasporto is a remarkable international film festival organized in Porto every year.

Many renowned Portuguese music artists and cult bands like GNR, Rui Veloso, Sérgio Godinho, Clã, and Pluto are from the city.

Porto has several museums, concert halls, theaters cinemas, libraries and book shops. The most well known museums of Oporto are the Soares dos Reis National Museum (Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis) that is dedicated especially to the Portuguese artistic movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Serralves Foundation (Museu de Arte Contemporânea). The city has concert halls of a rare beauty and elegance like the Coliseu do Porto by the portuguese arquitect Cassiano Branco, an exquisite example of the Portuguese decorative arts, it is seen by many has one of the best and most elegant concert halls in Europe, the Rivoli theatre, the Batalha cinema and the recent Casa da Música.

Transportation

Known as the city of bridges, the first permanent bridge, the Ponte das Barcas (a pontoon bridge) was built in 1806, but three years later was sabotaged to prevent the invasion led by Marshal Soult during the Peninsular War with Napoleonic troops, who were believed to be coming from the south. However, they appeared from the north, and the population, unware of the situation, tried to flee through it en masse, causing the death of around 4000 locals. It was replaced in 1843 by the Ponte D. Maria II, known as Ponte Pênsil (suspended), of which only the supporting pylons remain, after being replaced by the Luís I and the Maria Pia bridges. During the 20th century, other bridges were built: Arrábida, which at its opening had the biggest concrete supporting arch in the world, and connects north and south shores of the Douro on the west side of the city, S. João, to replace Maria Pia and Freixo, on the east side of the city. The newest bridge is Ponte do Infante, finished in 2003.

Porto is served by Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (IATA: OPO) which is located some 15km to the north-west of the city centre. The airport is a state-of-the-art facility, having undergone a massive program of refurbishment due to the Euro 2004 football championships being partly hosted in the city. Direct flights to a growing number of major cities in Europe and the Americas are available; from these, of special interest are low cost connections to London, Frankfurt, Liverpool, Dublin and Paris.

Currently the major project is the Porto Metro system. It is the most expensive public construction project currently in progress in Europe, mainly due to the city's soil, which is extremely complex from a technical perspective and very expensive to dig. Consequently, the Infante bridge was built, for urban traffic, replacing the Dom Luís I, which was dedicated to the subway on the second and higher of the bridge's two levels. Five lines are open: lines A (blue), B (red), C (green) and E (purple) all begin at Estádio do Dragão (home to FC Porto) and terminate at Senhor do Matosinhos, Póvoa de Varzim (via Vila do Conde), ISMAI (via Maia) and Francisco Sá Carneiro airport respectively. Line D (yellow) currently runs from Hospital S. João in the north to João de Deus on the southern side of the Douro river. The lines intersect at the central Trindade station. Currently the whole network spans 60 km (37 miles) using 68 stations, thus being the biggest in the country.

The city has an extensive bus network run by the STCP (Sociedade dos Transportes Colectivos do Porto, or Porto Public Transport Society) which also operates lines in the neighbouring cities of Gaia, Maia and Gondomar. Other smaller companies connect such towns as Paços de Ferreira and Santo Tirso to the town center. In the past the city also had trolley-buses. A tram network, of which only a tourist line on the shores of the Douro remain, saw its construction begin in 12 September 1895, therefore being the first in the Iberian Peninsula. Taxicabs are available throughout the city and are recognizable as cream sedans (usually Mercedes-Benz models).

The road system capacity is augmented by the Via de Cintura Interna, an internal highway connected to several national highways and city exits, complementing the Circunvalação 4-way road, which borders the north of the city and connects the eastern side of the city to the Atlantic shore.

Highlights

In recent years, UNESCO recognised its historic centre as a World Heritage Site. Among the architectural highlights of the city, the Oporto Cathedral is the oldest surviving structure, together with the small romanesque Church of Cedofeita, the gothic Church of Saint Francis (Igreja de Sao Francisco), the remnants of the city walls and a few 15th century houses. The baroque style is well represented in the city in the elaborate gilt work interior decoration of the churches of St. Francis and St. Claire (Santa Clara), the churches of Mercy (Misericórida) and of the Clerics (Igreja dos Clérigos), the Palace of the Archbishop, and others. The neoclassicism and romanticism 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 Hospital of Saint Anthony, the Municipality, the buildings in the Avenida dos Aliados, the tile-adorned Sao Bento Train Station and the gardens of the Crystal Palace (Palácio de Cristal). A guided visit to the Palácio da Bolsa, and in particular the Arab Room, is a gem that no visitor should miss.

In 2001, Porto shared the designation European Culture Capital (together with the Dutch city of Rotterdam). In the scope of these events, the construction of the major concert hall space Casa da Música, designed by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, was initiated and finished in 2005.

The Fantasporto International Film Festival is a great cultural event of the city, attracting many national and foreign film commentators to the city.

Oporto is a small (in the European context) but an extremely rich city in cultural and historical terms. But its progressive abandonment is very prejudicial to its integrity. The more ancient houses are abandoned and the local government doesn't practice much actions of maintenance. Many of the city's oldest houses are at risk of collapsing.

Economy

The economic relations between the city of Porto and the Upper Douro River have been documented since the Middle Ages. However, they were greatly deepened in the modern ages. Indeed, sumach, dry fruits and nuts and the Douro olive oils 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. But the greatest lever to interregional trade relations resulted from the commercial dynamics of the Port Wine (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 wines, today 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, where is located the amphitheatre-shaped slope with the Port wine cellars.

Porto has always rivaled Lisbon in economic power. As the most important city in the heavily industrialised north, many of the largest Portuguese corporations from diverse economic sectors, like Altri, Amorim, Bial, EFACEC, Lactogal, Millennium bcp, Porto Editora, Sonae, and Unicer, are headquartered in Greater Porto area.

The city's former stock exchange (Bolsa do Porto) was transformed into the largest derivatives exchange of Portugal, and merged with Lisbon Stock Exchange, to create the Bolsa de Valores de Lisboa e Porto, which eventually merged with Euronext, together with Amsterdam, Brussels, LIFFE and Paris. The building formely hosting the stock exchange is currently one of the city's touristic attractions, the Salão Árabe (Arab Room in English) being its major highlight.

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 up to recently one of the tallest in the city (it has been superseded by a number of modern buildings which have been built in the last 10 years).

Porto Editora, one of the biggest Portuguese publishers, is also in Porto. Its dictionaries are among the most popular references used in the country, and the translations are very popular too .

Education

The city has a large number of public and private basic and secondary schools, as well as kindergartens and nurseries. Due to the depopulation of the city's interior, however, the number of students has dropped substantially in the last decade, forcing a closure of some institutions.

Porto has several institutions of higher education, the larger one being the state-managed University of Porto. The University of Porto (Universidade do Porto) is the largest Portuguese university, with approximately 35,000 students. There are also a state-managed polytechnic institute, the Instituto Politécnico do Porto (a group of technical colleges), and privately-owned institutions like the Portuguese Catholic University at Porto (Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Porto) and the Porto's Higher Education School of Arts (ESAP- Escola Superior Artística do Porto). Due to the recognition, potential for employment and higher revenue, there are many students from the entire country and Portuguese-speaking African countries, although particularly from the north of Portugal, attending a college or university in Porto.

Young entrepreneur David Cameron opened the famous Oporto fast food outlet in an attempt to honour his hometown of Porto. Serving delicious burgers and sugary wine drinks.

Sports

As in most Portuguese cities, football is the most important sport in the city. Top division champions FC Porto and Boavista FC are both from Porto, while SC Salgueiros, a third club, has fallen into heavy debts and now plays in the third division after being one of the most regular first division clubs during the 1980s and 1990s. There are two major grounds, the Estádio do Dragão and the Estádio do Bessa, owned by the two SuperLiga clubs and present in the . Salgueiros, who sold their Vidal Pinheiro ground to the Porto Metro company planned to build a new one in the Arca d'Água zone, few hundred meters away from the old grounds, but due to a large underground water pocket, it is impossible to build there, and so they moved to the Estádio do Mar in Matosinhos, owned by Leixões SC. As there isn't a multi-purpose city-owned stadium, the only with athletics track is the Estádio Universitário, where the rugby team of the CDUP (Porto University Sports Team) plays. There are other football grounds, with sand or dirt surfaces, owned by clubs in the amateur league, featured in a cult show on NTV named N*Amadores, the station was renamed RTP N and the show Liga dos Últimos, the exception being FC Porto's second stadium, the Campo da Constituição, now a footballing school.

FC Porto won the UEFA Champions League twice: in 1987 and in 2004. Their long time president, Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, is one of the most charismatic figures in Portuguese football. He managed to establish FC Porto as one of the most powerful European football clubs and reduce the influence of the Lisbon clubs, which was notorious during António de Oliveira Salazar's Dictatorship. Pinto da Costa is not the only charismatic figure in the recent history of FC Porto: Jose Mourinho coached Porto to a victory in the 2003 UEFA Cup (beating Celtic in the final in Seville) and their magnificent 2004 Champions League triumph which was clinched with a victory over Monaco.

There are other sports arenas in Porto, notably the city-owned Pavilhão Rosa Mota (now unused due to a bad relationship between the mayor and the FC Porto board), swimming pools in the Constituição area, between the Marquês and Boavista, and other minor arenas, such as the Pavilhão do Académico.

Porto is also home to the North of Portugal's only cricket club, and possibly the oldest European cricket club outside of the British Isles, the Oporto Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club. Every year, for more than 100 years, a Cup competition has been played between the Oporto Club and the Casuals Club of Lisbon, as well as various games against touring teams, mainly from England. The Club and pitch are located off Rua Campo Alegre.

In 1958 and 1960, Porto's streets hosted the Formula One Portuguese Grand Prix on the Boavista street circuit. A reenactment of the races was held from 8 July to 10 July, 2005.

Parishes

Gallery

Image:Estadio dragao entrance.jpg|Estádio do Dragão Image:Estadio do bessa.jpg|Estádio do Bessa Image:Porto metro cdm.jpg|A Metro Sign and the Casa da Música concert hall Image:ParqueCidade Porto.JPG|City Park Image:Sbento trainstation porto.JPG|S. Bento train station Image:Pailhao rosa mota porto.JPG|Pavilhão Rosa Mota Sports arena and XVIII aristocratic garden Image:Coliseu do Porto.JPG|Coliseu do Porto Opera, concert, and theatre house Image:Castelo do Queijo.JPG|Castelo do Queijo Coastal fortress Image:Ribeira_Porto_Portugal.jpg|Ancient part of Ribeira Image:Porto City Hall.JPG|City Hall Image:Ponte arrabida 28-9-04.jpg|Ponte D'Arrabida Image:800px-Blick über den Rio Douro auf Porto.jpg|Rabelo, traditional boat on Douro river

Famous Portuenses

Trivia

  • Invicta
Occasionally Porto is also called "Cidade Invicta" (English: Unvanquished City) after its brilliant and victorious resistance to the Napoleonic Imperial army.

  • Full name
The town's full name is Antiga, Mui Nobre, Sempre Leal e Invicta Cidade do Porto (Ancient, Very Noble, Always Loyal and Unvaquished City of Porto)

  • Tripeiro
An anecdote from the times of Portugal's expansion overseas tells of the citizens of Porto providing meat for the sailors and retaining only tripes (tripas in Portuguese) for themselves. The Portans thus acquired the nickname tripeiros, which is still in use today. From the same episode a typical dish from this city was created, Tripas à Moda do Porto (Tripes à la Porto in English), which still can be found everywhere in the city today.

  • Francesinha
Francesinha ("Frenchie") is the most famous popular native snack food in Porto. It's a kind of sandwich with several meats covered with cheese and a special sauce.

  • Harry Potter
In the early 1990s J.K. Rowling lived in Porto teaching English. While in Porto, she married Portuguese television journalist Jorge Arantes on 16 October 1992. They had one child, Jessica Isabel, before divorcing in 1993.

  • Tuberculosis
Porto is the national recordist of tuberculosis positive cases. Porto tuberculosis rates are at Third World proportions. (The incidence of positive cases was 23/100 000 nationwide in 1994, with a rate of 24/100 000 in Lisbon and 37/100 000 in Porto. Porto represented the worst epidemiological situation in the country, with very high rates in some city boroughs and in some poor fishing and declining industrial communities. Epidemiological analysis indicated the existence of undisclosed sources of infection in these communities, responsible for continuing transmission despite a cure rate of 83% in the district. (*)

External links

Cities in Portugal | Coastal cities | Municipalities of Portugal | Porto | World Heritage Sites in Portugal | Port cities

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Porto".

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