Walk up to the parapet. From here you grasp Porto at a glance: a granite city tumbling down to the river, with Vila Nova de Gaia and its wine lodges on the far bank.

1A square cleared with pickaxes

This esplanade may look as if it has always been here, but it was cleared around 1940. The Estado Novo regime wanted to show off the cathedral and demolished the medieval houses that surrounded it. It was a controversial move: a great view was gained, but part of the medieval fabric that once hugged the cathedral was lost.

2A column that is not what it seems

In the middle stands the pillory, where offenders were once put on display. Its looks are deceptive: it is not medieval but was set up in 1945, when the square was laid out.

The cathedral itself, on the other hand, is genuinely old: begun in the 12th century, it still looks like a fortress.

To one side, the former Bishop's Palace, with its long Baroque front, is a reminder that for centuries the bishop was the city's great lord.

3What to look for

  • The Luís I Bridge to the south-east, with its great iron arch.
  • The port wine lodges in Gaia, their names spelled out on the roofs.
  • The cathedral's battlements, a legacy of its defensive origins.

Documented

The square was opened up by the demolitions of 1940 and the pillory set up in 1945; the cathedral was begun in the 12th century.

Sources and credits

Visit Porto, Terreiro da Sé and Pelourinho entries; Direção-Geral do Património Cultural, Sé do Porto record; UNESCO, Historic Centre of Porto.

Photos:

  • Main façade of Porto Cathedral with its two towers and rose window: Concierge.2C, CC BY-SA 3.0.

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