The Historic Center of Porto is the oldest area of the city of Porto, in Portugal, classified as a World Heritage Site since 1996. It corresponds to the urban fabric marked by the medieval origins of the city and includes territories located in the parishes of Sé, São Nicolau, Vitória and Miragaia.
In spite of all the evolution and mutations that have taken place in the Historic Center of Porto, still today the observation of the urban complex that is based on the old medieval hull provides an image of coherence and homogeneity. It suggests immutability and permanence in time, constituting a unique example of an urban landscape endowed with identity, strong character and aesthetic quality.
MONUMENTS:
The area classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site includes the part of the inner city to the layout of the old Fernandina Wall, from the 14th century and some adjacent areas of similar characteristics or valued by later achievements for a total of about 49 hectares. Among the monuments that are part of this area are:
- Alminhas of the Old Bridge;
- English Club;
- Relationship Chain;
- Tailors Chapel;
- Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Silva;
- Lord of the Steps Chapel;
- Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Ó;
- Swirl Alley House;
- Cabinet House;
- House of the Order of the Third Order of San Francisco;
- House of the Infant of the Mayan House;
- House of Rua de Rua Hugo nº 5;
- Casa da Rua da Reboleira, no. 59;
- House of St. Michael's Street, No. 4;
- Spoon Fountain;
- Dark Street Fountain;
- Street Fountain of St. John;
- Taipas Street Fountain;
- Virtue Fountain;
- Reconstructed Cube of the Old Fence;
- Building at Rua das Taipas, 76;
- São Bento Station;
- Equestrian statue of D. Pedro IV;
- English Feitoria;
- Fontanário do Largo da Sé;
- Taipas Street Source;
- Church of the Mercy of Porto;
- Church of Our Lady of Patronage;
- Church of Our Lady of Victory;
- Church of the Order of the Rosary;
- Church of Santa Clara;
- Santo Ildefonso Church;
- Church of St. Benedict of Victory;
- San Francisco Church;
- Church of St. John the Baptist;
- Church of St. Joseph of Taipas;
- Saint Lawrence Church or Cricket Church;
- St. Nicholas Church;
- Clergy Church and Tower;
- Mercado Ferreira Borges;
- Monument to Prince Henry;
- Serra do Pilar Monastery (in Vila Nova de Gaia);
- Primitive Wall;
- Fernandine Walls;
- War Museum Junqueiro;
- Ourivesaria Cunha;
- Episcopal Palace of Porto;
- Stock Exchange Palace;
- New St John's Palace;
- Pillars of the Suspension Bridge;
- Ponte Luís I;
- Ribeira Square;
- Commercial Restaurant;
- Medieval Ruins of the House of the House;
- Porto Cathedral;
- National Theater of São João;
- Tower of the Rua de Baixo;
- Rua Pedro Pitões Tower.
Involving the classified area has also defined a protection area that includes:
- The Avenida dos Aliados and surrounding blocks to Trindade Square, D. João I, D. Filipa de Lencastre, Gomes Teixeira and Carlos Alberto, Jardim do Carregal and Hospital de Santo António;
- The zone of the New Customs and the valley of the Virtues; the slopes of Fontainhas and Guindais;
- A strip at the source of the old line of the medieval wall in the vicinity of Batalha Square
- The entire riverside area of Vila Nova de Gaia, home to the Port Wine cellars.
This crown, of significant patrimonial value despite some decontextualized examples, covers a total of 130 hectares.
In 1991, the Porto Chamber presented the candidacy of the city's Historic Center to UNESCO for classification as a World Cultural Heritage.
SOURCE: Wikipedia.
