77-597: Porto ( Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpoɾtu] ), also known as Oporto , is the second largest city in Portugal , after Lisbon . It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula 's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto , is small compared to its metropolitan area, with an estimated population of just 248,769 people in
154-476: A center for the expansion of Christianity during that period. Porto fell under Muslim control following the invasion of the Iberian Peninsula between 714 and 716. Porto, and several cities of Northwestern Portugal, such as Braga , Chaves and Lamego were reconquered by Alfonso I of Asturias in 741, and thus Porto became a border settlement. Vímara Peres , a Galician count from Gallaecia , and
231-467: A city. In Portugal, the city is not an administrative division, therefore a city generally does not necessarily correspond to a municipality , which is the second-level local government in the country. Some entirely urban municipalities do coincide with cities, such as Lisbon , Porto , Funchal , Amadora , Entroncamento , and São João da Madeira . The municipality with the most cities is Paredes Municipality , which contains four cities. Until 1910,
308-436: A contemporary count named Gonzalo Muñoz. In the late 960s Gonzalo's lands were ravaged by Vikings , and in 968, he fell out with king Ramiro III over the latter's refusal to fight the raiders. His son Menendo had close relations with Ramiro's rival and successor, Bermudo II , being made the king's alférez and tutor of his son, the future king Alfonso V . Following Alfonso's succession, Menendo would serve as regent for
385-419: A later date. Guarda was the first city proclaimed as part of the independent kingdom, in 1199. In Portugal, a locality can only be called a city if more than 8,000 inhabitants live in the city's urban area. In addition, at least half of the following infrastructure must be present: In Portugal there are localities with more than 8,000 inhabitants and with the required infrastructure installed, but not having
462-576: A location was proclaimed city by royal charter ( carta régia ), which happened 25 times to current Portuguese cities (royal charters were also granted to cities of the Portuguese Empire ; for example, São Paulo in 1711). During the Portuguese First Republic , the process was transferred to the parliament, which elevated three towns to the category of city. The dictatorial Estado Novo regime proclaimed seven cities on
539-509: A long-standing military alliance between Portugal and England . The Portuguese-English alliance (see the Treaty of Windsor ) is the world's oldest recorded military alliance. In the 14th and 15th centuries, Porto's shipyards contributed to the development of Portuguese shipbuilding. Also from the port of Porto, in 1415, Prince Henry the Navigator (son of John I of Portugal ) embarked on
616-596: A municipality with only 41.42 km (16 sq mi). Porto's metropolitan area has around 1.8 million people (2023) in an area of 2,395 km (925 sq mi), making it the second-largest urban area in Portugal. It is recognized as a global city with a Gamma + rating from the Globalization and World Cities Research Network . Located along the Douro River estuary in northern Portugal, Porto
693-551: A position of feudal subservience to the Leonese state. Her own son, Afonso Henriques , took the reins of the government in 1128 after routing his mother's forces in the Battle of São Mamede , near Guimarães . After this battle, he began to exhibit a seal with a cross and the word "Portugal", and he continued to win battles, supported by the nobles of Entre-Douro-e-Minho . Nevertheless: Even then, between 1128 and 1139 he never used
770-424: A result of rebellion. A larger entity under the same name was then reestablished in the late 11th century and subsequently elevated by its count in the mid-12th century into an independent Kingdom of Portugal . The history of the county of Portugal is traditionally dated from the reconquest of Portus Cale ( Porto ) by Vímara Peres in 868. He was named a count and given control of the frontier region between
847-507: A study concerning competitiveness of the 18 Portuguese district capitals, Porto was the worst-ranked. The study was made by Minho University economics researchers and was published in Público newspaper on 30 September 2006. The best-ranked cities in the study were Évora , Lisbon, and Coimbra . Nevertheless, the validity of this study was questioned by some Porto notable figures (such as local politicians and businesspersons) who argued that
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#1732772604859924-578: A vassal of the King of Asturias , Léon and Galicia , Alfonso III , was given the fief of Portucale, and the surrounding areas. This included the area from the Minho to the Douro River : the settlement of Portus Cale and the area that is known as Vila Nova de Gaia . Portus Cale, later referred to as Portucale , was the origin for the modern name of Portugal . In 868, Count Vímara Peres established
1001-478: Is a list of cities in Portugal . In Portugal , a city ( Portuguese : cidade ) is an honorific term given to locations that meet several criteria, such as having a minimum number of inhabitants good infrastructure (schools, medical care, cultural and sports facilities), or have a major historical importance. The country's demographic expansion of the 1980s prompted the elevation of several towns to city status and, as of 2018, 159 locations in Portugal are considered
1078-544: Is a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the River Douro between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. Built in 1886, its 172 metres (564 ft) span was then the longest of its type in the world. The top-level is used for the Porto Metro trains, with an option for pedestrians; the lower level carries traffic and pedestrians. During the 20th century, major bridges were built: Arrábida Bridge , which at its opening had
1155-614: Is augmented by the Via de Cintura Interna or A20, an internal highway connected to several motorways and city exits, complementing the Circunvalação 4-lane peripheric road, which borders the north of the city and connects the eastern side of the city to the Atlantic shore. The city is connected to Valença ( Viana do Castelo ) by highway A28, to Estarreja ( Aveiro ) by the A29, to Lisbon by
1232-419: Is connected to central Porto by metro’s line E. Porto's main railway station is Campanhã railway station , located in the eastern part of the city and connected to the lines of Douro (Peso da Régua/Tua/Pocinho), Minho (Barcelos/Viana do Castelo/Valença) and centre of Portugal (on the main line to Aveiro , Coimbra and Lisbon ). From Campanhã station, both light rail and suburban rail services connect to
1309-577: Is generated by tourism. The hotel occupancy rate in 2017 was 77%. A scholarly study published in June 2019 stated that "Porto is one of the fastest-growing European tourist destinations that has experienced exponential growth in the demand for city-break tourists". The most popular tourist attractions in the city include the Porto Cathedral, Dom Luís I Bridge, Café Majestic , Livraria Lello and Jardins do Palácio de Cristal. The road system capacity
1386-624: Is headquartered outside of the Lisbon area. Breaking down the population further shows that there is a higher percentage of women than men. Estimates from 2016 show that the population is 55% female, compared to 45% male. The largest age group, according to 2016 estimates, is 60 to 69, followed by residents in the 50 to 59 demographic. The majority 93.7% of residents were born in Portugal . The city also has residents that were born in Angola , Brazil, Cape Verde , and countries across Europe. Religion in
1463-580: Is north of the city in Matosinhos . Porto is served by Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport which is located in Pedras Rubras, Moreira da Maia civil parish of the neighbouring Municipality of Maia , some 15 kilometres (9 miles) to the north-west of the city centre. The airport underwent a massive programme of refurbishment due to the Euro 2004 football championships being partly hosted in the city. It
1540-611: Is on the Portuguese Way path of the Camino de Santiago . In 2014 and 2017, Porto was elected The Best European Destination by the Best European Destinations Agency. Proto-Celtic and Celtic people were among the first known inhabitants of the area. Ruins of that period have been discovered in several areas. Archaeological findings reveal that there were also human settlements at the mouth of
1617-470: Is one of the oldest European centers and its core was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996, as the "Historic Centre of Porto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar". The historic area is also a National Monument of Portugal. The western part of its urban area extends to the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. Its settlement dates back to the 2nd century BC when it was an outpost of
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#17327726048591694-425: Is the capital of the sub-region of Cávado . The city of Funchal is the capital of the autonomous region of Madeira . The city of Coimbra is the capital of the sub-region Região de Coimbra . The following list shows the number of inhabitants and the population density of each respective city. Only the inhabitants living in the urban area are counted, not the inhabitants living in the entire municipality. In
1771-572: The 31 January 1891 revolt in Porto, the first uprising against the Portuguese monarchy. This resulted ultimately in the overthrow of the monarchy and proclamation of the republic by the 5 October 1910 revolution . On 19 January 1919, forces favorable to the restoration of the monarchy launched a counter-revolution in Porto known as Monarchy of the North . During this time, Porto was the capital of
1848-654: The Avenida dos Aliados , the tile-adorned São Bento railway station and the gardens of the Crystal Palace ( Palácio de Cristal ). A guided visit to the Palácio da Bolsa , and in particular, the Arab Room is a major tourist attraction . Many of the city's oldest houses are at risk of collapsing. The population in Porto municipality dropped by nearly 100,000 since the 1980s, but the number of permanent residents in
1925-534: The County of Portugal , or ( Portuguese : Condado de Portucale ), usually known as Condado Portucalense , after repopulating the region north of Douro. In 1093, Teresa of León , illegitimate daughter of the king Alfonso VI of Castile , married Henry of Burgundy , bringing the County of Portugal as dowry. This Condado Portucalense became the focus of what has been called the Reconquista , and later became
2002-462: The Douro River as early as the 8th century BC, which hints at a Phoenician trading settlement there. During the period of Roman Empire in the Iberian Peninsula , the city developed as an important commercial port, primarily in the trade between Olissipona (the modern Lisbon ) and Bracara Augusta (the modern Braga ). Porto was also important during the Suebian and Visigothic times, and
2079-631: The Greater Metropolitan Area of Porto , most notably, in the core municipalities of Maia , Matosinhos , Porto, and Vila Nova de Gaia . The city's former stock exchange ( Bolsa do Porto ) was transformed into the largest derivatives exchange of Portugal, and merged with Lisbon Stock Exchange to create the Bolsa de Valores de Lisboa e Porto , which eventually merged with Euronext , together with Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris stock and futures exchanges . The building formerly hosting
2156-722: The Kingdom of León in 1143. Its territory included much of the current Portuguese territory between the Minho River and the Tagus River . Count Henry continued the Reconquista in western Iberia and expanded his county's dominions. He was also involved in several intrigues inside the Leonese court together with his cousin Raymond and sister-in-law Urraca of Castile , in which he supported Raymond's ascension in return for promises of autonomy or independence for Portugal. In 1111
2233-535: The Liberal Wars ) was then fought from 1828 to 1834 between those supporting Constitutionalism, and those opposed to this change, keen on near-absolutism and led by D. Miguel. Porto rebelled again and had to undergo a siege of eighteen months between 1832 and 1833 by the absolutist army. Porto is also called "Cidade Invicta" (English: Unvanquished City) after successfully resisting the Miguelist siege. After
2310-668: The Limia and Douro rivers by Alfonso III of Asturias . South of the Douro, another border county would be formed decades later when what would become the County of Coimbra was conquered from the Moors by Hermenegildo Guterres . This moved the frontier away from the southern bounds of the county of Portugal, but it was still subject to repeated campaigns from the Caliphate of Córdoba . The recapture of Coimbra by Almanzor in 987 again placed
2387-602: The Napoleonic troops in Portugal under Marshal Soult brought war to the city of Porto. On 29 March 1809, as the population fled from the advancing French troops and tried to cross the river Douro over the Ponte das Barcas (a pontoon bridge), the bridge collapsed under the weight . (This event is still remembered by a plate at the Ponte D. Luis I . The French Army was rooted out of Porto by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington , when his Anglo-Portuguese Army crossed
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2464-493: The Roman Empire . Its combined Celtic - Latin name, Portus Cale , has been referred to as the origin of the name Portugal , based on transliteration and oral evolution from Latin. Port wine , one of Portugal's most famous exports, is named after Porto, since the metropolitan area, and in particular the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia , were responsible for the packaging, transport, and export of fortified wine . Porto
2541-566: The Ryanair hub at Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport. Porto won the European Best Destination 2012, 2014 and 2017 awards. The city received 2.8 million overnight visitors and 1.4 million day trippers between January and November 2017, with 73% from other countries. Tourism revenue has been increasing by over 11%, according to a 2018 report. According to a February 2019 report, over 10% of economic activity in Porto
2618-726: The conquest of the Moorish port of Ceuta , in northern Morocco . This expedition by the king and his fleet, which included Prince Henry, was followed by navigation and exploration along the western coast of Africa, initiating the Portuguese Age of Discovery . The nickname that the people of Porto are known by began in those days; Portuenses are to this day, colloquially, referred to as tripeiros ( tripe peoples ), referring to this period of history, when higher-quality cuts of meat were shipped from Porto with their sailors, while off-cuts and by-products, such as tripe , were left behind for
2695-698: The A1, to Bragança by the A4 and to Braga by the A3. There is also an outer-ring road, the A41, that connects all the main cities around Porto, linking the city to other major metropolitan highways such as the A7, A11, A42, A43 and A44. Since 2011, a new highway, the A32, connects the metropolitan area to São João da Madeira and Oliveira de Azeméis . The Dom Luís I Bridge (Ponte de Dom Luís I)
2772-755: The Campo Alegre area, nearby the Faculty of Humanities and the Arts, and another one in the area known as the Massarelos valley. Porto is often referred to as Cidade das Pontes (City of the Bridges), besides its more traditional nicknames of "Cidade Invicta" (Unconquered/ Invincible City) and "Capital do Norte" (Capital of the North). In July 2015 a new cruise terminal was opened at the port of Leixões, which
2849-505: The County of Portugal on the southern frontier of the Leonese state for most of the rest of the first county's existence. The regions to its south were only again conquered in the reign of Ferdinand I of León and Castile , with Lamego falling in 1057, Viseu in 1058 and finally Coimbra in 1064. The leaders of the first county of Portugal reached the height of their power in the late 10th century, when Count Gonzalo Menéndez may have used
2926-768: The Douro River from the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar (a former convent) in a brilliant daylight coup de main , using wine barges to transport the troops, outflanking the French Army. Influenced by liberal revolutions occurring in Europe, the Liberal Revolution of 1820 started in Porto. The revolutionaries demanded the return of John VI of Portugal , who had transferred the Portuguese Court to
3003-487: The Muslims conquered Santarém . When Count Henry died in 1112, the population of the County of Portugal, including the powerful families, favored independence. Henry's widow, Theresa , took the reins on behalf of her young son, and allied herself with Galician nobility in order to challenge her sister queen Urraca's dominance and briefly used the title Queen. However, she was defeated by Urraca in 1121 and forced to accept
3080-487: The Portuguese colony of Brazil since the French invasions of Portugal, it also demanded a constitutional monarchy to be set up in Portugal. In 1822, a liberal constitution was accepted, partly through the efforts of the liberal assembly of Porto (Junta do Porto). When Miguel I of Portugal took the Portuguese throne in 1828, he rejected this constitution and reigned as an anti-liberal, absolutist monarch. A civil war (known as
3157-534: The Portuguese mainland (as well as some more in the colonies), this time by government decree. After the 1974 Carnation Revolution , proclamation of cities returned to parliament and now, Portugal has 156 cities, one of the consequences being that the title no longer holds the prestige it once had. Eight locations have been always considered cities since Portugal became an independent kingdom ( de facto 1128): Braga , Coimbra , Lamego , Porto and Viseu , as well as Évora , Lisbon and Silves , which were annexed at
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3234-624: The Upper Douro River have been documented since the Middle Ages . However, they were greatly deepened in the modern age. Indeed, sumach , dry fruits and nuts and the Douro olive oils sustained prosperous exchanges between the region and Porto. From the riverside quays at the river mouth, these products were exported to other markets of the Old and New World . However, the greatest lever to interregional trade relations resulted from
3311-501: The abdication of King Miguel , the liberal constitution was re-established. Known as the city of bridges, Porto built its first permanent bridge, the aforementioned Ponte das Barcas (a pontoon bridge ), in 1806. Three years later, it collapsed under the weight of thousands of fugitives from the French invasions during the Peninsular War , causing thousands of deaths. It was replaced by the Ponte D. Maria II , popularised under
3388-468: The architectural highlights of the city, Porto Cathedral is the oldest surviving structure, together with the small romanesque Church of Cedofeita , the gothic Igreja de São Francisco (Church of Saint Francis ), the remnants of the city walls and a few 15th-century houses. The baroque style is well represented in the city in the elaborate gilt work interior decoration of the churches of St. Francis ( São Francisco ) and St. Claire ( Santa Clara ),
3465-409: The biggest concrete supporting arch in the world, and connects the north and south shores of the Douro on the west side of the city, S. João , to replace D. Maria Pia and Freixo , a highway bridge on the east side of the city. The newest bridge is Infante Dom Henrique Bridge , finished in 2003. Two more bridges are said to be under designing stages and due to be built in the next 10 years, one on
3542-484: The boy king and married him to one of Menendo's daughters. The county continued with varying degrees of autonomy within the Kingdom of León and, during brief periods of division, the Kingdom of Galicia until 1071, when Count Nuno Mendes , desiring greater autonomy for Portugal, was defeated and killed in the Battle of Pedroso by King García II of Galicia , who then proclaimed himself the King of Galicia and Portugal,
3619-554: The buildings of this firm. The revolt became known as the Revolta dos Borrachos (revolt of the drunkards). Between 1732 and 1763, Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni designed a baroque church with a tower that became its architectural and visual icon: the Torre dos Clérigos (English: Clerics' Tower). During the 18th and 19th centuries, the city became an important industrial center and its size and population increased. The invasion of
3696-456: The case of large cities like Vila Nova de Gaia , Braga , Coimbra and Setubal , the inhabitants of the entire municipality are not listed, because the municipality does not only include the city, but also other towns and villages around the city, which nevertheless belong to the municipality, but form a separate parish and therefore do not belong to the respective city. In the case of large cities like Lisbon , Porto , Amadora and Funchal ,
3773-716: The churches of Mercy ( Misericórdia ) and of the Clerics ( Clérigos ), the Episcopal Palace of Porto , and others. The neoclassicism and romanticism of the 19th and 20th centuries also added interesting monuments to the landscape of the city, like the magnificent Stock Exchange Palace ( Palácio da Bolsa ), the Hospital of Saint Anthony , the Municipality, the buildings in the Liberdade Square and
3850-582: The citizens of Porto; tripe remains a culturally important dish in modern-day Porto. By the 13th century, the wine produced in the Douro valley was already being transported to Porto in barcos rabelos (flat sailing vessels). In 1703, the Methuen Treaty established trade relations and a military alliance between Portugal and England. In 1717, the first English trading post was established in Porto. The production of port wine then gradually passed into
3927-503: The city center. The main central station is São Bento Station , which is itself a notable landmark in the heart of Porto. This station was built between 1900 and 1916, based on plans by architect José Marques da Silva. The large panels of azulejo tile were designed by Jorge Colaço; the murals represent moments in the country's history and rural scenes showing the people of various regions. List of cities in Portugal This
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#17327726048594004-516: The city proper does not function independently but in conurbation with other municipalities. A 2007 ranking published in Expresso ranked Porto as the third best city to live in Portugal – tied with Évora and below Guimarães and Lisbon . The Porto metropolitan area had a GDP amounting to $ 42.1 billion euros and $ 24,344 per capita in 2021. Over the last few years, Porto has experienced significant tourism increases, which may be partly linked to
4081-409: The commercial dynamics of the Port wine ( Vinho do Porto ) agro-industry. It decidedly bolstered the complementary relationship between the large coastal urban centre, endowed with open doors to the sea, and a region with significant agricultural potential, especially in terms of the production of extremely high quality fortified wines , known by the world-famous label Port . The development of Porto
4158-498: The designation of "city", but rather as "town", for example: Just as there are "cities" being "towns", there are also "towns" being "cities", because they have the required infrastructure in place, but have no more than 8,000 inhabitants or because since the locality received the designation "city" it has lost over the years the 8,000 inhabitants, for example: Portugal's two metropolitan areas, Lisbon with over 2.8 million inhabitants and Porto with over 1.7 million inhabitants, are
4235-460: The first time a royal title was used in reference to Portugal. The independent county was abolished, its territories remaining within the crown of Galicia, which was in turn subsumed within the larger kingdoms of García's brothers, Sancho II and Alfonso VI of León and Castile . In 1093, Alfonso VI nominated his son-in-law Raymond of Burgundy as count of Galicia, then including modern Portugal as far south as Coimbra, though Alfonso himself retained
4312-507: The hands of a few English firms. To counter this dominance, Prime Minister Marquis of Pombal established a monopolistic Portuguese firm to receive all the wines from the Douro valley. He demarcated the region for the production of port, to ensure the wine's quality; this was the first attempt to control wine quality and production in Europe, which was almost a century ahead of a similar exercise in Bordeaux. The small winegrowers revolted against his strict policies on Shrove Tuesday , burning down
4389-407: The independent Kingdom of Portugal , after eventually expanding to its current frontiers into the south as it conquered territory inhabited by the Muslim Moors for centuries, under the reign of King Afonso I of Portugal at the beginning of the 12th century. In 1387, Porto was the site of the marriage of John I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster , daughter of John of Gaunt ; this symbolized
4466-429: The inhabitants of the entire municipality are listed because the city spreads over the entire municipality and the respective parishes within the municipality are seen as "neighborhoods". Cities with an italic font are capitals of subregions, cities with a bold font are capitals of regions. per km County of Portugal The County of Portugal ( Galician-Portuguese : Comtato de Portugalle; in documents of
4543-411: The large city of Porto , but also the cities of Vila Nova de Gaia , Gondomar , Rio Tinto , Póvoa de Varzim , Matosinhos , etc. There are also large cities in Portugal that do not belong to any metropolitan area. These cities are mostly capitals of sub-regions that are not considered metropolitan areas because the population is mainly located in the capital of the sub-region. The city of Braga
4620-401: The largest agglomerations in the country. In the two metropolitan areas, in addition to the large cities of Lisbon and Porto , there are other cities that together form the metropolitan area. The Lisbon Metropolitan Area consists of the large city of Lisbon , but also the cities of Amadora , Queluz , Setúbal , Almada , Agualva-Cacém , etc. The Porto Metropolitan Area is made up of
4697-427: The medieval borough located inside the 14th-century Romanesque wall. In 2001, Porto, alongside Rotterdam , was the European Capital of Culture for the whole year. For this event, several urban projects, from urban requalification to new infrastructures and public transportation, were put into practice. Situated at 280Km from Lisbon, in 1996, UNESCO recognized Porto's historic centre as a World Heritage Site . Among
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#17327726048594774-634: The municipality of Porto (Census 2021) Porto plus the conurbation to which it belongs and has Porto municipality as its central core forming the nucleus of the conurbation, is a major industrial and financial center of both Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula. As the most important city in the heavily industrialized northwest, many of the largest Portuguese corporations from diverse economic sectors , like Altri , Ambar , Amorim , Bial , BPI , Cerealis , CIN , Cofina , EFACEC , Frulact , Lactogal , Millennium bcp , Porto Editora , RAR , Sonae , Sonae Indústria , and Super Bock Group , are headquartered in
4851-415: The name Ponte Pênsil ( suspended bridge ) and built between 1841 and 1843; only its supporting pylons have remained. The Ponte D. Maria , a railway bridge, was inaugurated on 4 November of 1877; it was considered a feat of wrought iron engineering and was designed by Gustave Eiffel , notable for his Parisian tower . The later Ponte Dom Luís I replaced the aforementioned Ponte Pênsil. This last bridge
4928-420: The newspaper) was at a time one of the tallest in the city (it has been superseded by a number of modern buildings which have been built since the 1990s). Porto Editora , one of the biggest Portuguese publishers, is also located in Porto. Its dictionaries are among the most popular references used in the country, and the translations are very popular as well. The economic relations between the city of Porto and
5005-430: The outskirts and satellite towns has grown strongly. Administratively, the municipality is divided into 7 civil parishes ( freguesias ): Porto features a warm-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen : Csb ), with influences of an oceanic climate ( Cfb ), common in the north of the Iberian Peninsula . As a result, its climate shares many characteristics with the warm, dry Mediterranean climates of southern Europe and
5082-444: The period Portugalia ) refers to two successive medieval counties in the region around Guimarães and Porto , today corresponding to littoral northern Portugal , within which the identity of the Portuguese people formed. The first county existed from the mid-ninth to the mid-eleventh centuries as a vassalage of the Kingdom of Asturias and the Kingdom of Galicia and also part of the Kingdom of León , before being abolished as
5159-411: The restored kingdom, as the movement was contained to the north. The monarchy was deposed less than a month later and no other monarchist revolution in Portugal happened again. The historic center of Porto was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. The World Heritage Site is defined in two concentric zones; the "Protected area", and within it the "Classified area". The Classified area comprises
5236-414: The stock exchange is currently one of the city's touristic attractions, with the Salão Árabe (Arab Room in English) being its major highlight. The Banco Português de Fomento (BPF), a Portuguese state-owned development bank established in 2020, is headquartered in Porto. Porto hosts a popular Portuguese newspaper, Jornal de Notícias . The building where its offices are located (which has the same name as
5313-406: The title magnus dux portucalensium ("grand duke of Portugal") and his son Menendo used the title dux magnus (grand duke). It could have been this Count Gonzalo who assassinated Sancho I of León after inviting the King to a banquet and offering him a poisoned apple. Not all historians, however, believe that Gonzalo Menéndez was responsible for the king's death and some attribute the regicide to
5390-508: The title of king over the same territory. However, concern for Raymond's growing power led Alfonso in 1096 to separate Portugal and Coimbra from Galicia and grant them to another son-in-law, Henry of Burgundy , wed to Alfonso VI's illegitimate daughter Theresa . Henry chose Guimarães as the base for this newly formed county, the Condado Portucalense , known at the time as Terra Portucalense or Província Portucalense, which would last until Portugal achieved its independence, recognized by
5467-402: The title of king, but rather that of princeps or infante , which means, in fact, that he could not resolve on his own account, the issue of his political category; that is, he had to admit that it depended on the consent of Alfonso VII who was, in fact, the legitimate heir of Alfonso VI. Also, he never used the title of "count" which would place him in a clear position of dependence vis-à-vis
5544-565: The urban areas. Summer average temperatures are a few degrees cooler than those expected in more continentally Mediterranean-influenced Portuguese cities because of the oceanic influence. Winter temperatures typically range between 6 °C (43 °F) early in the morning and 15 °C (59 °F) in the afternoon, but rarely drop below 0 °C (32 °F) at night. The weather is often rainy for long stretches, although prolonged sunny periods do occur. "Moyennes 1991/2020 Sagres" . Baseline climate means (1991–2020) from stations all over
5621-499: The wet marine west coast climates of the North Atlantic, providing it warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Cool and rainy days can, occasionally, interrupt the sunny weather. These occasional summer rainy periods may last a few days and are characterized by showers and cool temperatures around 20 °C (68 °F) in the afternoon. The annual precipitation is high and concentrated in the winter months, making Porto one of
5698-441: The wettest major cities of Europe. However, long periods with warmer temperatures and sunny days are frequent even during the rainiest months. Summers are typically sunny, with average temperatures between 16 and 26 °C (61 and 79 °F), but can rise to as high as 38 °C (100 °F) during occasional heat waves. During such heatwaves, the humidity remains quite low. Nearby beaches are often windy and usually cooler than
5775-449: The world . Météo Climat . Retrieved 7 May 2022 . "Extremes for Porto" . Météo Climat . Retrieved 7 May 2022 . Rui Moreira ( Independent ) is the current mayor of Porto, having taken office on 22 October 2013, following the 2013 local elections. He was reelected in 2017 and 2021. The Portuguese party Iniciativa Liberal (IL), founded and headquartered in Porto, is the only Portuguese party represented in parliament which
5852-545: Was also closely connected with the left margin of River Douro in Vila Nova de Gaia , where is located the amphitheater-shaped slope with the Port wine cellars. The city is very much the gateway to Portugal's northern region as well as the northern and western areas of Spain. Within a two-hour drive of Porto's airport, there are four Unesco World Heritage sites and popular Spanish tourist hotspots such as Santiago de Compostela. In
5929-423: Was made by Theophile Seyrig, a former partner of Eiffel. Seyrig won a governmental competition that took place in 1879. Building began in 1881 and the bridge was opened to the public on 31 October 1886. A higher-learning institution in nautical sciences (Aula de Náutica, 1762) and a stock exchange (Bolsa do Porto, 1834 – 1910) were established in the city, but were discontinued later. Unrest by Republicans led to
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