Porto

Porto is located in the northwest of Portugal and is the 2nd largest city in the country. It sits on the Douro River (see another post) estuary where it's history dates to perhaps the 8th century BCE, possibly a Phoenician settlement. The Romans called it Portus Cale. After being occupied by the Moors, this region was the 1st reconquered. The modern nation of Portugal began here, then known as Portuscale, which linguistically evolved to Portugal.
Porto has long been a port city, and its most famous export bears its name: port wine. The 1st 2 pictures are taken from opposite sides of the Douro. The 1st looks from Vila Nova de Gaia (often shortened to Gaia) to Porto. The 2nd picture looks toward Gaia. There is an important historical issue here. The land on the right bank (Porto) belonged to the local bishop. So taxes were paid to both the city and the bishop. The land on the left bank (Gaia) belonged to the city. So taxes were only paid to the city. Hence, all the port wine warehouses were built in Gaia, where they are today. Some things don't change.
The 3rd picture is Clérigos tower, a recognizable symbol of Porto. This is the bell tower of the baroque church and dates to the 18th century. The 4th picture is the Lello Bookstore where JK Rowling ussaid to hang out and conceived of the Harry Potter novels.
The 5th and 6th pictures reflect the period of the dictatorship here through the middle of the 20th century. The 5th picture is the old prison, and the 6th is the justice court, built in what has been called the fascist style.
Historically, Porto had as many as 3 Jewish neighborhoods. The 7th picture is a plaque that memorializes all those expelled in 1496 in order to keep peace with Spain who did the same in 1492.
The last 2 pictures provide a glance at what the historic center of Porto looks like. This has been a UNESCO recognized place done 1996.Read more