Porto Cathedral
Porto Cathedral is on the list of recommended places to visit in Portugal. Historians call it one of the oldest and most important local Romanesque monuments. A plaque was erected on the memorial plaque in the square in front of the Catholic Church in 1947 in memory of the events that took place 800 years ago.
The history of Porto Cathedral
Most Europeans are considered Catholics, and Portuguese people are very religious. This is evident not only in the way they live their lives, observe customs and honor traditions associated with a particular religious date. Chapels, temples, and churches built in many cities speak about this aspect of the Portuguese. The Porto Cathedral occupies an honorable place among such cultural structures.
There is a square in front of the cathedral. There is also a memorial plaque on it, which was installed in 1947. It marks the events that unfolded 8 hundred years ago. In 1147, the then bishop of Porto, Don Pedro Pitoes, in his speech represented Don Afonso Henriques, who was going to become the first king of Portugal. On June 17, the bishop had a conversation with many crusaders from the countries of the northern part of Europe who were on their way to the Holy Land. Don Pedro Pitoes had the goal of convincing them to become part of the Portuguese army in the reconquista of Lisbon. And he managed to do it.
In continuation of the topic
The Crusaders arrived at the Port absolutely by accident. Their ships were caught in a storm. Then they managed to reach the bay of the Douro River. There, the Crusaders recovered from the breakdown and stocked up on provisions. And the plaque itself says that the Reconquista of Lisbon was born on this spot.
By the bishop's decree, a protective wall and a temple were built. They were built on the site of an ancient chapel. Duke Don Afonso Henriques continued to lead the construction process. He was motivated by his own goals. In this case, it was necessary to win over the Catholic Church in order to ensure independence in the future.
Description of Porto Cathedral
The cathedral looks more like a fortress than a temple. The Romanesque style tells us about this. It was built in the 12th century. The temple served as a kind of center around which the city itself was formed. Of course, time spares no one and nothing. The temple was modified in every possible way. However, this did not prevent it from being the main venue for various historical events.
If we talk about the appearance of the Porto Cathedral, then all that remains from the old days is the facade. It is delicately decorated with a Gothic-style rose and battlements that served for defense. At other points, the Baroque era influenced any changes. Then a chapel was built near the cathedral. There, a silver altar weighing 800 kg found a place for itself. At the moment, it is the place of storage of the remains of the Knight of Malta, Juan Gordo.
The halls of the Porto Cathedral are very modestly furnished, there is a slightly gloomy entourage. It is not surprising, because it is he who tells us about the Middle Ages. You can see huge doors, rose windows, the highest ceilings and roughly made columns, ancient decorative and furniture elements, statues of saints and stunning paintings in a golden frame.
