A Liberal Heart and 20,000 Unique Tiles - Porto

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http://www.heygo.com 7th March - A Liberal Heart and 20,000 Unique Tiles - Porto



My first virtual tour with Sara in Porto.

We started in Avenida dos Aliados in front of the City Hall.

The name of this boulevard translates as "Avenue of the Allies" and this refers to the treaty between Portugal and the United Kingdom in the 14th century. Still in place, the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty is the oldest alliance in the world which is still in force.



Flanked by ornate buildings in a range of architectural styles, from neoclassical to French Beaux-arts, this avenue was built to impress. As such it is home to some of the city's most prestigious hotels along with a number of banks.

The wide, somewhat short avenue was not always the grand statement it is today. In fact it has only existed in its current form since 1916 when the old streets and alleyways were demolished.



We passed the statue of statue is Juventude (Youth) made by local sculptor Henrique Moreira in 1929, and known affectionately as the naked girl.



Close to the naked girl statue was a McDonald’s, not usually so much of interest but this one is an exception. Opened in 1995, the restaurant is located in a renovated space previously occupied by Cafe Imperial, a famous coffee shop open in the city since the 1930s. The coffee shop was seen as a prime example of Art Deco architecture of the period and McDonald's have retained most of the main architectural features when it took over the location.

Complete with the imperial eagle, the interior has also been left virtually unspoilt with the art deco stained glass and period chandeliers this must be the most beautiful McDonalds in the world.



At the end of the Avenue a statue of King Pedro IV (Emperor Pedro I, of Brazil) D. Pedro IV won the battles for liberalism and this statue is a symbol of his courage and also his gratitude and affection for the people of Porto.

The monarch requested his heart be gifted to Porto upon his death, and so has been kept by the alter in The Igreja da Lapa Catholic church since 1835.



The little statue of a flat-capped fellow next to the postbox shouting the Portuguese equivalent of "read all about it" is a reminder that in years gone by newspapers once had their offices here.



Porto’s São Bento Railway Station is where we were heading to see the magnificent tiles in the entrance hall.



Built in 1900, the beautiful station was named after a Benedictine monastery that once occupied its space back in the 16th century. Destroyed by fire in 1783, the house of worship was rebuilt but by the 19th century was torn down to make way for the expanding railway system.

Five years after the station was built, the intricate tile work began.



Nearly every space of the grand hall is covered by panels of azulejos depicting scenes of Portuguese history and the daily activities of the Portuguese people. To give an idea of the scale, in his masterpiece, the renowned artist Jorge Colaço used some 20,000 tiles, each measuring 15 x 15 cm.

The blue and white tiles were placed over a period of 11 years (1905–1916).



The sun was streaming into the grand hall which is why some of the photos the tiles look a different colour but they were all the blue and white tiles so well known in Portugal.

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