Porto--beautiful, crumbling city on the Douro

Prince Henry's abandoned church above the Douro

Porto is the heartland of Port wine country, set high above the mouth of the Douro River.  Its history includes the Celts, Romans, Moors and British, as well as Prince Henry the Navigator who began Portugal's era of colonial grandeur.

Porto cathedral and bishop's palace

From the 14th century, Portugal and England have been allies, beginning with the marriage of John I and John of Gaunt's daughter, Philippa.  Porto's main square, Liberty Square, is lined with 19th century British buildings, most housing banks and a number in ruins.

As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the entire city of Porto has strict requirements for the restoration of buildings.  The original facades of the buildings must be retained when a building is restored. This maintains the character of the city, but is also very expensive for those wanting to restore the buildings. Nonetheless, I certainly prefer the 15th to 19th century facades to the generally ugly and unkempt structures of the 20th century.

19th century facade--all that remains of building undergoing renovation

From the 14th century, flat-bottomed boats called rabelos carried casks of Port from the Douro Valley to ships waiting to carry them to England and Europe.  The British dominated the Port production and trade from the early 17th century to the late 20th century.
Many of the largest vineyards and wineries are still owned by British descendants, but the Portuguese have reasserted their authority over Port production, setting strict limits and standards.

blue-tiled church

One of Porto's most notable architectural features is its beautifully tiled buildings, ranging from small homes to large palaces and churches.  Originally, all tiles were Chinese blue and white, but in the last century, many manufacturers produced multi-colored tiles.  Like the facades, these tiles, too, must be maintained and restored in any renovation work.

tiny, tiled church

Because of Portugal's continuing economic woes, there are countless buildings and churches that have been abandoned.  A few are being restored, but the cost of renovating these beautiful old buildings is nearly prohibitive.  The government of Porto has a goal of getting private interests to buy and restore the many ruins in the city center.  That is happening very slowly, far too slowly to return the city to its prior grandeur.

One of the highlights of a visit to Porto is the Lello bookstore, with its gorgeously carved curving staircase and leaded glass skylight.  When we were here last year, entrance was free, but too few people bought books and too many tourists crowded the tiny store, so now they charge 3 euros to enter, which has increased the number of buyers and reduced the crowds.

carved wooden staircase in Lello Bookstore

Clerico Tower

Nearby is the Clerico tower which offers great views of the city if you're willing, as many are, to climb its very narrow, winding staircase to the the top.  Which several of us did, of course, to enjoy the panorama.

dried cod hanging in shop window

The Portuguese eat a lot of cod, mostly dried, as is their long-standing tradition. They cook it in stews, fritters, tapas--but you can also get superb fresh fish in most of the restaurants.

Graffiti decorate the walls of the abandoned buildings.  A frequent theme seemed to be this madonna shape.  Many of the graffiti artists and very skilled, but I would rather see their creativity on something other than walls.