Top less known things about Porto
Porto is an amazing city, filled with charm, beauty and uniqueness. Its wonderful places, witnesses of history, its special cobbled streets surrounded by magic and its unmistakble scent will definitely take your breath away.
You all know all the beautiful places to be encountered in this amazing corner of heaven, but you will definitely be astonished by those things which not many people know. The unknown things about Porto which will make you love it even more!
Porto got its name from “Portus Cale”
Porto was the first capital of Portugal and it was known as Portus Cale “Condado Portucalense” (in English, County of Portucale). The port of Cale, a settlement during Roman times located at the mouth of the Douro, it’s said to be the source of the country’s name Portugal. And what about Porto and O Porto? The mispronunciation- or misunderstanding of the city’s appellation of O Porto by the English, which means The Port, led it to be referred to as Oporto. Nowadays both versions of Porto and Oporto are frequently used.
The city of Porto is nicknamed “Invicta”
In Portuguese, the word Invicta stands for “que nunca foi vencido” or “that was never conquered.” During the 19th century civil war, Porto was never conquered and even survived a siege that lasted over a year, which we have to admit it’s a great achievement.
Did you know that Gustave Eiffel participated in the constructions of two of Porto’s bridges?
Before his project with the Eiffel tower in France, Gustave Eiffel constructed the Maria Pia Bridge in Porto. The bridge, which was named after Queen Maria Pia, who lived from 1847 to 1911, crosses the river Douro and it was opened in 1877 by the king of Portugal. Gustave Alexandre Eiffel was given the task of constructing the bridge. He is best known for the Eiffel Tower, but was also known for its bridge engineer skills and techniques.
The construction of the bridge began in 1876 and given his inovative ideas and techniques, Gustave Eiffel used a new technique that allowed the construction to be finished faster than usually. Soon after, he started working on the D.Luis Bridge (one of the most famous ones in Porto) but it was his apprentice, Theophile Seyrig, who completed that project.
Porto is the home to one of the three biggest football teams in Portugal, Futebol Clube do Porto (FCP)
The blue and white striped uniforms are the pride of most of the locals, who take football very seriously. The teams mascot is a mystical dragon. Internationally, they have won 7 trophies, including: UEFA Champions League twice (in 1987 and 2004), and the UEFA Europa League twice (in 2003 and 2011).
Porto’s ancient architecture is astonishing
Porto became very famous when classified by UNESCO’s title of World Heritage (1996) and with the title of European Capital of Culture (2001). The ancient architecture of Porto will give you a perplexed feeling of awesomeness. Porto houses many historic buildings – some have become a historic site, and some still need to be discovered. You’ll come across Baroque, Gothic and Romanesque structures in the city’s cathedrals and churches.
Apart from the Baroque and Rocaille art and architecture, meet the oldest parts of the city such as the Ribeira with an outstanding view to the Douro River, where you can see the wine cellars. Discover the fascinating ball rooms of the Stock Exchange Palace (Palácio da Bolsa), with a picturesque granite façade. Stroll down through Avenida dos Aliados and witness Neoclassical buildings and wide pavements. You cannot miss these amazing architectural styles which resides within the most beautiful buldings.
You can always count on Porto Airport Transfers for countless adventures and unforgettable memories!
