Day 2 Catedral. - Tram - Lello Library

We start our second day with a visit to the Catedral 'Sé" and the 

"Claustro" with the beautiful azulejos.

Portos Cathedral the Sé, is an historic landmark in the old centre, where the city was born. In fact, Morro da Sé is the oldest district in Porto. Its characteristic neighborhood and its residents are the most genuine part of the city.

The Cathedral itself is a 12th Romanesque structure. It was built by Bishop Hugh, a French nobleman who came to Porto even before Portugal’s independence, and ruled the city from 1113 to 1136.

Despite its Romanesque roots, you will see that the cathedral, all over the centuries, has been suffering many changes of different architectonical styles, like the baroque roofs of the turrets next the front door, or even the loggia outside the north wall of the building, designed by Nicolau Nasoni, in the 18th century.

The cloister walls of Porto's Cathedral are decorated with blue and white pictorial tiles some of which depict scenes from "The Metamorphosis" (Ovidius) and the life of Mother Mary. They are dramatic and grab your attention. 

You will find some of these tiles on the outside of the cathedral walls. This style of internal and external wall decoration can be seen around the world, wherever the old Portuguese Empire had an influence. What is the history of the Portuguese liking from blue and white "Azulejos" tiles? 

On our way down to the Douro we discover a very special chapel

Praça da Ribeira

 

Igreja de Sao Nicolau

Palacio da Bolsa

We take the tram along the Douro from the Infante station  to the terminus Passeio Alegre 

Farol de S. Miguel-O-Anjo 

We take Bus 500 to  Praça Goncalves Zarco and from there  

bus 205  along the Avenida da Boavista to the

Fundacao e Casa de Serralves 

(Museum of Modern Art) 

The Serralves Foundation’s mission is to raise the awareness and knowledge amongst audiences from different backgrounds and age groups, in relation to contemporary art, architecture and the landscape and key issues facing society at present and in the future. 

The Foundation has an integrated approach based on its exceptional heritage assets, including, in particular, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Park.

Located in the city of Porto, the Foundation has a rich historical and cultural heritage, including the Museum, designed by the architect Álvaro Siza, winner of the 1992 Pritzker Prize, the Serralves Villa, a unique example of art deco architecture, and the Serralves Park, designed by the French architect Jacques Greber, which was awarded the "Henry Ford Prize for the Preservation of the Environment” in 1997. 

In 2012, Serralves’ Park and buildings were jointly classified as a "National Monument”. This is the most important heritage classification level, and was granted in recognition of Serralves’ cultural, architectural and landscape value and the investment in the enhancement, animation and dissemination of the Foundation’s heritage assets.

 

 We then take bus 201 to  the Casa da Musica at the Praça Mouzinho de Albuquerque

Livraria Lello is a living access door to its history: for preserving the building, for maintaining its original function as a bookshop, for the role of ambassadress of culture and for expanding the cultural dynamics of the city.

For more than a century, Livraria Lello has been a main showcase for Portuguese literature, both nationally and internationally, helping export Portuguese literature to the rest of the world.

In the last decade, Livraria Lello has been officially recognized as “one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world” by the magazine Time, The Guardian, and the travel guide Lonely Planet.

On our way home we pass the Torre dos Clerigos, which we will visit tomorrow.

 In the evening we go for dinner to Guarany

on the Avenida dos Aliades