{"id":9822,"date":"2022-02-07T09:18:35","date_gmt":"2022-02-07T09:18:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/porto-cathedral\/"},"modified":"2024-04-25T15:02:07","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T15:02:07","slug":"porto-cathedral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/en\/porto-cathedral\/","title":{"rendered":"The Porto Cathedral (S\u00e9 do Porto)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Perched on a hill overlooking the Douro, a stone’s throw from the Dom Luis I Bridge, the Porto Cathedral (S\u00e9 do Porto in Portuguese) is one of the most iconic monuments in the “Northern Capital”. Follow the guide!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u26a0\ufe0f: Porto Cathedral’s popularity often leads to lengthy queues,<\/strong> particularly during the high season. To save time, it’s advisable to book your visit in advance: Tickets for Porto Cathedral<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udca1 The Captain\u2019s tips<\/strong> \ud83d\udca1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83e\uddd0 Want to know more about Porto’s history?<\/strong> Captain Ulysses highly recommends this free guided tour of the city<\/a><\/mark>. It\u2019s up to you to choose how much you wish to tip the tour guide!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udca4 Looking for an hotel in Porto?<\/strong> Be sure to check out the Captain’s article: Where to stay in Porto? Advice & recommendations<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udfdb Planning your trip to Porto?<\/strong> Be sure to check out Captain Ulysses’ complete article on what to see and do in the city: a Guide to Porto<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udc76 Planning a family adventure to Porto?<\/strong> Discover all of the Captain\u2019s top tips in the article: Exploring Porto with the Kids: Family-Friendly Activities<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Brief history of the Porto Cathedral<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the 12th<\/sup> century, the bishop of Porto, Dom Hugo,\ndecided that the city of Porto should have its own cathedral: the S\u00e9 do Porto<\/em> was born.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally built in a Romanesque style, the Porto Cathedral was enlarged, transformed and embellished over the centuries. Its heterogeneous architecture mixing Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque influences is the result of these multiple alterations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cloister adjoining the cathedral was thus built in the 14th<\/sup> century, while the loggia located on the side of the building is an addition by the Italian architect Niccol\u00f3 Nasoni dating from the 18th<\/sup> century. Niccol\u00f3 Nasoni – who also designed the Cl\u00e9rigos Tower<\/a> – completely renovated the portal of the cathedral and made a multitude of small transformations inside the monument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the Porto Cathedral is among the most iconic monuments in the northern capital, so it’s wise to book your tickets ahead of time<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visiting the Porto Cathedral (S\u00e9 do Porto)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The forecourt of the Cathedral of Porto<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the foot of the cathedral, be sure to linger in the vast forecourt<\/strong> (the Terreiro da S\u00e9<\/em> in Portuguese) from where you’ll have a beautiful view of the Douro, the Dom Luis I Bridge and the quays of Vila Nova de Gaia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facing the cathedral, a large Baroque pillory<\/strong> ( pelourinho<\/em>)\nwhich symbolizes justice, stands in the center of the square. According to\nlegend, the city’s criminals were once hanged\non this pillori\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Porto<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The exterior of the cathedral<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With its monumental dimensions and its stocky silhouette\nflanked by two square towers, the Cathedral of Porto looks very much like\na fortress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before entering the building, take the time to linger a few minutes on the forecourt to admire the exterior of the cathedral. Adorning the main fa\u00e7ade, the 12th<\/sup> century Romanesque rose window<\/strong> has survived the test of time. The portal<\/strong> was renovated in the Baroque style by the Italian architect Niccol\u00f3 Nasoni. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the left of the building, don’t miss the beautiful Baroque<\/strong> loggia<\/strong> decorated with azulejos, which was also designed by the famous Italian architect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Loggia<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Around the cloister <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Adjoining the cathedral, the cloister<\/strong> dates from\nthe 14th<\/sup> century. In the cloister too, the architectural style is quite\neclectic: the arcades, typically Gothic, are decorated with Baroque azulejos by Valentim de Almeida\ndating from the beginning of the 18th<\/sup> century and\nrepresenting the life of the Virgin Mary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Porto<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The richly decorated Saint-Vincent Chapel<\/strong> is well worth a look for its sumptuous altar and its beautiful organ. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A little further on, the Sacristy<\/strong> is a adorned\nwith over-the-top, rococo furniture and baroque paintings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the upper floor, the chapter house and the treasury<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From the main floor of the cloister, a beautiful baroque granite staircase<\/strong>\ndesigned by Niccol\u00f3 Nasoni leads to the upper floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The terrace<\/strong>, decorated with azulejos representing Ovid’s Metamorphoses<\/em>\nof Ovid, gives onto the Casa do Cabido, where you’ll find the Chapter House\nand the Treasury of the Porto Cathedral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Azulejos<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Chapter Room<\/strong>, decorated\nwith baroque statues, is well worth a visit for its sumptuous coffered ceiling\nadorned with fourteen allegories of moral values painted by Giovanni\nBattista Pichini in 1737. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Treasure Room<\/strong> houses a fine collection of liturgical objects (books, chalices, chasubles, etc.) dating from the 17th<\/sup> and 18th<\/sup> centuries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The panorama of Porto from the cathedral<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From the terrace, a narrow staircase leads to the\ntop of one of the towers of the Porto Cathedral. From there, the panorama<\/strong> on\nthe historic center, the Douro River, the Dom Luis I Bridge and the municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia is\nquite simply breathtaking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Panorama<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Inside the Cathedral of Porto<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Like the facade of the building, the interior of the cathedral\nis quite eclectic in style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The narrow, barrel-vaulted nave<\/strong> is lined with\ntall granite columns and supported by flying buttresses. It is one of\nthe earliest examples of the use of this typically Gothic architectural technique\nin Portugal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Baroque wall paintings<\/strong> of the choir\nare the work of Niccol\u00f3 Nasoni. In the baptistery, don’t miss the bronze\n bas-relief<\/strong> by Antonio Texeira Lopes, representing the\nBaptism of Christ by Saint John the Baptist. Scattered around the cathedral, the three\nred marble holy water fonts<\/strong> dating from the 17th<\/sup> century are\nquite impressive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cathedral of Porto is also home to two baroque goldsmith\nmasterpieces: <\/p>\n\n\n\n