U.Porto Memory

Rectory Building of the U.Porto

Background

The city of Porto lies on uneven ground, on two hills - Sé or Penaventosa, and Vitória -, both overlooking the Douro River. In 1996, the historic center was classified by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage, following an application process promoted by the City Council and prepared by CRUARB/CH. This classification covered the old town, with many medieval and modern buildings, century-old streets, interspersed with archaeological remains from the 4^th to the 3^rd centuries b.C.

The protected area of Porto World Heritage covers the outskirts of the medieval town on both banks of the river, and includes landmarks such as the D. Luís I Bridge and the Monastery of Serra do Pilar. On the north bank, it covers the parishes of Miragaia and Santo Ildefonso, and the steep cliffs of Guindais and Fontainhas, and on the south bank, the slopes on which the Port wine cellars were established.

The Rectory building in Praça Gomes Teixeira lies in the heart of the Historic Center, an urban area with a strong medieval imprint. It is surrounded by remarkable buildings such as the Clérigos monument (national monument), the building of the former Jail and Court of Appeal of Porto (building of public interest), converted into the Portuguese Center for Photography in 1997, the former Misericórdia Hospital, today Santo António Hospital (national monument), the church of the former convent of the Discalced Carmelites and the Church of the Honourable Order of Terceira do Carmo (both submitted for classification).

The square-shaped building is limited to the North by Praça Gomes Teixeira and to the South by Campo dos Mártires da Pátria and the João Chagas Garden, better known as Cordoaria Garden. To the East it is limited by Rua Dr. Ferreira da Silva, once known as Rua da Academia Politécnica, and to the West by Praça de Parada Leitão.