Porto Cathedral
The 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 square in front of the Catholic Church in 1947 to commemorate the events that took place 800 years ago.
History of the Cathedral of Porto
Most Europeans are considered Catholics; the people of Portugal are very religious people. This can be seen not only in the structure of their usual life, observance of customs and veneration of traditions associated with a certain religious date. This aspect of the Portuguese is evidenced by the chapels, temples, and churches built in many cities. The Porto Cathedral occupies a place of honor among such cultural buildings.
In front of the cathedral there is a square. There is also a memorial plaque on it, which was installed in 1947. It commemorates events that unfolded 8 hundred years ago. In 1147, the then current bishop of Porto, Don Pedro Pitoes, in his speech introduced Don Afonso Henriques, who was going to become the first king of Portugal. The bishop had a conversation on June 17 with many crusaders from the countries of northern 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 reconquest of Lisbon. And he managed to do it.
Continuing the topic
The Crusaders ended up in Porto completely by chance. 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 on the memorial plaque itself it is indicated that the Reconquista of Lisbon was born at this place.
By decree of the bishop, a protective wall and temple were built. They were erected 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, the fact that in order to ensure independence in the future it was necessary to bring the Catholic Church closer to itself.
Description of the Porto Cathedral
In appearance, the Cathedral looks more like a fortress rather than a temple. The Romanesque style tells us this. It was erected 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 times, any changes were influenced by the Baroque era. Then a chapel was built near the cathedral. A silver altar weighing 800 kg also found a place there. At the moment, it is the location where the remains of the Knight of Malta, João Gordo, are kept.
The halls of the Porto Cathedral are furnished very modestly, with a slightly gloomy ambience. It is not surprising, because it is he who tells us about the Middle Ages. You can see huge doors, rose windows, high ceilings and roughly crafted columns, ancient decorative elements and furniture, statues of saints and stunning paintings framed in gold.
