portugal porto10 iconic blue and white ceramic tiles

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The city of Porto is one of the most visited cities in Europe, hosting more than a million tourists a year. It is the second largest city in Portugal, known worldwide for its wine, its bridges and its historical center, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO. The inauguration of the new Passenger Terminal with a capacity of 6 million pax/year, in 2005, has provided the chance to grow, both in traffic figures as well as in service quality. Since then, Porto Airport has been registering an average of traffic increase of 8% per year.

Aeroporto

Located along the Douro river estuary in northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centres. The history of Porto dates back to the 4th century, to the Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula.

Praça dos Leões (The official name it's Praça Gomes Teixeira but everyone knows as Praça dos Leões)

Praça dos LeõesCarmo Church and the Carmelite Church (Igreja do Carmo e Igreja dos Carmelitas)

This is, indeed, a curious structure with interesting historical references related to it. It is definitely one of the must-visits of Porto.

Carmo Church and the Carmelite Church

What is noteworthy about these churches is, despite the fact they stand as two different religious edifices, they form, as it were, an apparently single architectural structure. Their story goes as follows: the Carmelite Church was built in the 17th century, and was populated by the Carmelite order of nuns. It is a rather sober edifice, at least on the outside, featuring a plain facade and a bell tower. On the inside it is lushly decorated. The Carmo Church was, however, built in the 18th century. Architecturally speaking, it is much more eye-catching, being an expression of the Baroque style. The inside is pegged out by seven altars, works of Francisco Pereira Campanha, and the exterior is decorated with ceramic tiles brightening with their specific hues (white and blue) the architectural complex

Carmo Church and

the Carmelite Church

Now, the two churches are

separated by the world’s narrowest house, a house

which amounts to no more than one meter in width. It

used to be inhabited until the

1980s.

The reason of placing a house between the two religious edifices

was to make sure there was

no communication of the worldly kind between

the nuns of the Carmelite

Church and the monks at the

Carmo Church, as well as the fact a certain unwritten law stated that no two churches

should share a wall in common.

Situated close to the Clergymen Tower and Church (Igreja e Torre dos Clérigos), the Igreja do Carmo é remarkable construction, presenting an amazing panel of tiles on an exterior wall, representing scenes describing the foundation of the Carmelite Order.

The Lions Fountain located in the Plaza de Gomes Teixeira is one of the few sources of the city that were not built in Portugal, while being the most obvious of Porto.

Was sent to the Water Company of Porto in 1882, entering service four years later, thus providing water to this area of town.

The Fonte dos Leões (Fountain

of Lions) is a monumental fountain 8

metres wide and 6 metres tall.

It was awarded to the French

company “Compagnie Générale des

Eaux pour l'Etranger”, also responsible for the construction

of this public equipment.

Igreja do Carmo is the most noteable church in Vitória area, Porto. To it's side this wall azulejos, were designed by Silvestre Silvestri and painted by Carlos Branco. The tiles were produced in a tiles factory in Gaia, suburb of Porto, and mounted on the church's façade in 1912.

The historical building of the Rectory of the University of Porto (Praça dos Leões)

It got its name on 1936 in honor of Francisco Gomes Teixeira, a well known professor in the University of Porto.

Rectory of the University of Porto (Praça dos Leões)

Igreja de Santo Ildefonso Batalha Square

The Igreja de Santo Ildefonso is an 18th-century church in Porto, Portugal, situated near Batalha Square. Completed in 1739, the church was built in a proto-Baroque style and features a retable by the Italian artist Nicolau Nasoni and a façade of azulejo tilework.

The church is named in honour of the Visigoth Ildephonsus of Toledo, bishop of Toledo from 657 until his death in 667

Approximately 11,000 azulejo tiles cover the façade of the church, created by the artist Jorge Colaço and placed in November 1932

Extensively repaired following a severe storm in 1819, the church also suffered damage from artillery fire on 21 July 1833 during the Siege of Porto

The tiles depict scenes from the life of Saint Ildefonso and figurative imagery from the Gospels.Jorge Colaço (1868 - 1942) was a Portuguese painter specially known for his works as tile (azulejo) painter. Among his most important works are tile panels in the Palace Hotel of Bussaco; São Bento Railway Station in Porto; Sports Pavilion of Eduardo VII Park in Lisbon. He also has works in Brazil, England (Windsor Castle)

Replacement stained glass windows in 1967, created by the artist Isolino Vaz (1922 —1992)

Isolino Vaz (1922 —1992)

The artist and architect Nicolau Nasoni designed the retable, which was created and installed by architect Miguel Francisco da Silva in 1745.

Rua Sá da Bandeira

Palácio do Comercio Rua Sá da BandeiraO Triunfo da Indústria do mestre Henrique Moreira (1890 - 1979)

Palácio do Comercio Rua Sá da Bandeira

Text and pictures: InternetCopyrights of the photos belong to each photographer

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuwww.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

Sound: Dulce Pontes – Lagrima; Lusitana Paixão