The origins of the settlement along the Ribeira is not really known. A riverside settlement developed near the confluence of the Vila River and the Douro River. Some Roman mosaics from the fourth century have been found in the area. The Ribeira grew along with Porto in the 13th century. Especially by the river and Penaventosa hill.

Two settlements arose. One on the escarpment of Penaventosa by Porto Cathedral. The other appeared below in Ribiera on the banks of the Douro River. Until the last decade of the 14th century the settlements were connected by a web of narrow, constricting streets difficult to move around in. A new street was needed to pierce the labyrinth.

On the initiative of John I a new street was opened. In fact, it was called "New Street" (Rua Nova). It was a perfect contrast to the tangled web of passageways of Porto. It was straight, and wide for its time. It became a prestigious address for the bourgeoisie, clergy and business.

The Ribeira district lures the visitor on. It is a captivating place of medieval streets and alleys ending in a busy waterfront square, the Ribeira Square. The remains of the 14th century wall run next to the Ribeira Wharf. Beyond this point are the steep twisted ways of the Barredo.

In the evenings clubs on the Ribeira Wharf promise a stimulating nightlife to romantic strollers. In days gone by the district alongside the Douro River was a center of lively commerce and business.

The Ribeira Square has many shops and cafes. At the northern part of the square is a huge fountain. The Ribeira Wharf starts on the west side of the Luis I Bridge and it follows the riverside to Ribeira Square.

There is an upper walkway where there are more shops and cafes. The walkway is what is left of the old city walls, once patrolled by medieval soldiers on watch. Sit down, have a drink and watch the river with them. Time glides by like the river.

The cloisters of Saint Francis Convent were burnt during the Liberal wars in 1832. In 1841 Queen Mary II donated the ruins to the merchants of Porto. They used the site to build the new Commercial Association. Architect Joaquim da Costa Lima Junior designed a Palladian neoclassical palace that harmonized with previous structures of the city.

The Palace was generally completed by 1850 but details which include the staircase and the Arab Room, courtyard dome, and Tribunal were later added.

The octagonal dome has glass panels and the coats-of-arms of Portugal and the countries trading with Portugal in the 19th century. In the rear of the courtyard is a sumptuous stairway, lined with busts by famous sculptors.

The star of the show however, is the Arab Room. Done in the Moorish Revival style, it is used primarily for receptions for visiting heads of state.

The Stock Exchange Palace is located in the Infante D. Henrique Square in the center of Porto.

Why You Should Visit:
The guided tour takes you through many of the exquisitely decorated rooms of this amazing building. Some are a little over-the-top but they are really something to see, each decorated in a completely unique way.

Tip:
The Palace can only be visited on a guided tour. Upon arrival, there's a computerized screen telling you which tours in which languages are available. The guided tour lasts approximately 45 minutes.

In 1244 the bishop of Porto didn't like the Franciscans. Other religious orders and clergy didn't mind pushing them around. What was needed was a papal bull and they got one from Pope Innocent V. He chided the bishop and returned to the Franciscans the land the bishop had taken from them. The monks then built a convent and church.

The Franciscans had their foot in the door and in 1383, with the patronage of King Ferdinand I, they built a bigger church. The church was complete in 1425. It was done in the plain Gothic style favored by mendicant orders of the time. To this day the Franciscan church is the best example the Gothic style in Porto.

In the 15th and 16th centuries socially prominent families made the Church of Saint Francis theirs. The Chapel of John the Baptist, for example, was built in the 1530s for the Carneiro family in the Manueline style. In the 18th century the interior surfaces were covered with gilt work in a Baroque style, including the apses and nave.

During the siege of Porto in 1832 the cloisters were destroyed. The Commercial Association built the Stock Exchange Palace in its place.

Why You Should Visit:
If you like seeing countless hours of opulent, very ornate wood carving covered in gold leaf, then this is the place for you.

Tip:
Don't miss the little museum and the catacombs that are included in the ticket price.

The banks of the River Douro are granite. Spanning the river in two different locations less than a mile apart are the bridges of Luis I, King of Portugal and his royal bride, D. Maria Pia. The bridge of Luis looks remarkably similar to that of Maria. Both bridges have enormous iron webs and arches supporting transit over the river.

The reason they look alike is simple. The D. Maria Pia bridge was designed by Gustave Eiffel, famous for his tower in Paris. The Dom Luis bridge was designed by Teophile Seyrig. Seyrig had partnered with Eiffel on the D. Maria Pia bridge and the Eiffel Tower. The span of the Luis Bridge is 564 feet and the height is 146 feet.

A novel feature of the Luis I bridge is its two levels. One passes over the the highest point of the arch and the other hangs beneath the arch. Originally, both levels were meant for road traffic. However, today the top level carries trains of the Metro alongside pedestrian walkways. Walking on the upper level is a thrill not to be missed.

From the upper level there are matchless views of Porto Cathedral and the Tower of the Clergymen dominating the skyline of old Porto.

Why You Should Visit:
Visit the upper level for the thrill, the view and bragging rights. It may not be the only bridge in town but it's the best.

In 868, Vimara Peres, an Asturias nobleman born in 820, conquered Moorish held lands north of the river Douro. One of the towns he took went by the name Portus Cale. Portus Cale became Portucale, the county he would rule. The town became Porto. Penaventosa, the highest hill in Portus Cale, became the site of Porto Cathedral.

The hill was once the location of a Suebian Church. Work began on the Cathedral in the 12th century. There were fits and starts over the years, but the building was finally considered complete in 1737. It is the most impressive Romanesque style edifice in Porto. On top of Penaventosa it sits, fortress-like, overlooking the town.

The cathedral is flanked by twin square towers. Each tower is buttressed and topped with a cupola. The western façade has 15th century Gothic ornamentation. There is also an impressive Gothic cloister installed in 1736 by Nicolau Nasoni, an architect from Tuscany who settled in Portugal.

On the northern side of the cathedral is a baroque porch and a Romanesque rose window under a crenelated arch. The crenellations reinforce the impression of a fortress. The nave is not wide. It is covered with a barrel vault.

The baroque apse is decorated with paintings by Nasoni. The altarpiece of the chapel was designed by Santos Pacheco. The south transept is decorated with blue azulejo tiles.

Mass is celebrated every day at 11am.

Why You Should Visit:
You wouldn't want to miss the city's oldest and most visited monument! The square also offers impressive views over the city, the Douro River and the wine cellars on the waterfront.

Tip:
While admission to the Porto Cathedral is free, there's a small fee to get into the Sacred Art Museum and the magnificent Gothic cloisters attached to the church. If you're feeling fit you can also climb the tower (steps are steep and numerous!) for amazing views, including at the bits of the cathedral you can't see from further down.

Nicolau Nasoni, an Italian architect and painter of the 18th century, did a lot of work throughout Portugal. His most memorable project is the Church and Tower of the Clergymen. His other works include the construction of the Misericordia Church, the Archbishop's Palace and the lateral loggia of Porto Cathedral.

Construction of the church was completed in 1750. The bell tower and divided staircase in front of the church were not finished until 1763. The facade is ornate with Baroque decorations such as garlands and shells and an indented pediment. The frieze above the windows has spiritual symbols. The sides show an elliptical nave.

The Church of the Clergymen (Clerigos) was among the first baroque style churches to have an elliptical floorplan. The polychromed marble altarpiece in the large chapel was done by Manuel dos Santos Porto.

The Tower is in a Roman Baroque style of Tuscan bell towers. It is 245 feet high and it takes 240 steps to reach the top for an incredible view of Porto. The tower is one of the recognizable symbols of Porto.

Nicolau entered the Clerigos Brotherhood and when he died he was buried in the crypt of his masterpiece, The Church and Tower of the Clergymen.

In the lower town or Baixa district of Porto, on the south side of the Avenue of the Allies, lies Liberty Square. This is a largish area of more than three square miles. Originally called New Square, Liberty Square is a product of the 1718 urbanization movement of Porto.

In 1788 the religious order of Saint Eligius, Patron Saint of veterinarians, horses, goldsmiths and blacksmiths, built a convent on the south edge of the square. They demolished part of the medieval wall of the city, replacing it with the convent, an impressive neoclassical building, still standing as the Cardosas Palace.

In 1866 a monument honoring King Peter IV was erected in the square. Peter IV was not only King of Portugal as Peter IV, he was also Emperor of Brazil as Peter I.

As each of the two Peters, he fought to preserve the liberal constitution in Portugal and liberty in Brazil. His monument, designed by sculptor Anatole Calmels, is a statue of Peter IV mounted and holding the constitution he had fought for in the Liberal Wars.

The square underwent a change in 1916 when the modern Avenue of the Allies was pushed through to the north of the square. The buildings around the square today are banks, hotels, offices and restaurants. The monument to Peter IV dominates the huge square. Other notable sights would include the Bank of Portugal and the Cardosas Palace.

At the end of the eighteenth century the Brotherhood of Souls moved from the Monastery of Santa Clara to the chapel of Santa Catarina. The addition of the Brotherhood swelled the size of the Santa Catarina faction of devotees to the point where a new building was needed. The chapel therefore was expanded and restored in 1801.

The facade has a framed door under a circular pediment. A coat of arms is set on the tympanum showing Saint Francis of Assisi and Santa Catarina. The bell tower has two floors. On the first floor is a door with a window. The second floor has four windows and a balcony. Atop the dome is an iron cross.

The style of the church is basically neoclassical, but the church is noted for its covering of azulejo tiles. The tiles were made at the Viuva Lamego Ceramic Workshop in Lisbon. The 16,000 glowing blue and white tiles depict scenes from the lives of Saint Catherine and Saint Francis of Assisi.

The stained glass windows, made by Amandio Silva, show the souls in Purgatory washed with the redeeming blood of Christ. Inside the chapel is the 18th century image, Virgin of Souls. On the main altar is the large painting called "The Ascension of the Lord" by Joaquin Rafael, a professor of Fine Arts in Lisbon.

This is without a doubt, the most beautiful church in Porto. It must not be overlooked.

Saint Catherine Street is Porto's main shopping thoroughfare. It is totally pedestrianized and it extends from Marques de Pombal Park in the north to Batalha Park in the south. It runs between buildings with Art Deco facades. It is named for the Chapel of Souls and Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

Shop on Marques de Pombal for clothing, haberdashery goods, and shoes. The Via Catarina shopping center, many street vendors, and cafes make for a busy day for visitors.

Landmarks encountered are the Latina New Art Bookstore at Batalha Park and Palladium Gallery at the intersection of Passos Manuel Street. The Cafe Majestic, since 1921 a watering hole for Porto's intelligencia, is next to the Imperiel Tea Room, also a historic landmark.

The prestigious Porto Grand Hotel is next, since 1880 a haven for the famous. It was a place to die in 1889 for Teresa Cristina, Empress of Brazil. Prime Minister Afonso Costa was held prisoner here in 1917 during a coup d'etat.

At last, there is the Chapel of Santa Catarina also known as Chapel of Souls on the corner of Fernandes Tomas Street.