How the Cloister of St. Francis Church Became Palacio da Bolsa

St. Francis Convent, founded in the 13th century, was in ruins in 1832. Fire destroyed its cloister during the civil war, also known as the Liberal Wars. In 1841, Queen Mary II donated the ruins of the cloister to the merchants of the city. The first stone, laid in 1842, was to build the seat of the Commercial Association of Porto. Construction of the building exterior was mostly done by 1850. However, the more intricate interior was not done until 1910. The elegant Palacio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace) was born and has been classified as a National Monument and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1982.

The massive glass and steel domed ceiling of the Central Hall was the first thing that stood out. It covered the Central Hall but allowed natural light to bathe its interior. Bending backwards though was a required maneuver to get a good view of the massive domed ceiling. Natural light was also instrumental in highlighting the painted coat-of-arms of countries having commercial relationships with Portugal in the 19th century.

Just below the massive glass and steel dome of the Central Hall, right above pillared walls, were the painted coat-of-arms of all the nations that have commercial relationships with Portugal in the 19th century. It was an impressive sight with the interplay of colors and natural light. It is worthy to know that the interior of Palacio da Bolsa was designed by several architects.

Our thoughts: despite several cooks, the broth was excellent!

Talking about elegant! This staircase that was leading us to the upper floor was definitely elegant in its design and presentation. Iron, marble, wood, and tiles were combined to create a wonderful work of art. The staircase connected the lower Nations’ Courtyard to the upper State Rooms.

The Neoclassical design of the Grand Marble Staircase leading downstairs was difficult to ignore. The grand marble staircase of Palacio da Balsa in Porto, Portugal showcased the opulent characteristics of Neoclassical design. It featured the elegant columns and intricate balustrades that enhanced its grandeur. The staircase was adorned with meticulously crafted marble steps with polished sheen. It was expansive and symmetrical in layout which draws the eye upward. Details such as ornamental moldings and classical motifs further enhanced its architectural beauty thus embodying the timeless elegance associated with Neoclassical aesthetics.

We walked through this hallway on the way out of Palacio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace). It was adorned with yellow and orange tones, arched architectural walls, rows of dark wooden doorway, and a line of globe chandeliers. Of course, we were also appreciating the adjacent courtyard with its cobblestones, pillars, and arches. It was not until we turned around at the end of the hallway that we realized a unique view of lights and shadows. We wouldn’t have seen it had we not turned around.

Church of São Francisco

A photograph of the facade of the Church of St. Francis in Porto, Portugal. This was the only photograph that we could take of the church. No photography allowed inside the Church.

The Church of St. Francis became a Gothic design inspired building in the 14th century. It has an interior Baroque design made famous for the hundreds of kilograms of gold overlaid on most of its surfaces. We have seen gold in churches but this was the most amount of gold that we have ever seen in any church.

Palacio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace) was built on the cloister of this church that was destroyed during the Portuguese Civil War (also known as the Liberal Wars).

Ribeira

A photograph of the vibrant Ribeira (waterfront) on the northern bank of the Duoro river. Red roofs, tiled facades, and pastel colored walls made up the tiered buildings of the riverfront. The neighborhood is part of the medieval old town of the city. Cafes, bars, and restaurants contribute to the vibrant atmosphere of the waterfront. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its rich cultural and architectural history.

Pickpockets! Pickpockets! Keep your backpacks and bags in front! Stay away from crowding people!

Those were the warnings that were given to us. The result was a very brisk walk along the Ribeira from the Church of São Francisco, through the Dom Luis I Bridge, and until we reached the southern banks of the Duoro river. It was sad to forego with browsing through the shops. It was sad not to check out the restaurants and bars. It was sad not to just stand around and appreciate the architecture of the buildings facing the waterfront. Sad!

Dom Luis I Bridge

Photographs of Dom Luis I bridge. The construction of the bridge was completed in 1886. Its design was compared to the Eiffel Tower in Paris by virtue of the relationship of its designer to the designer of the tower.

We walked the span of the lower deck, where most pedestrians and some cars cross, to reach the southern banks. The upper deck allowed for cars, trucks, and some pedestrian crossing. The bridge connected the northern bank of the city of Porto, Portugal to the southern bank of the city of Vila Nova de Gaia.

The northern bank of the city of Porto, Portugal offered a good view of the bridge. A lot of people though think that the southern bank of the city of Vila Nova de Gaia offered a better view.

We arrived at the southern bank of the Duoro river where we were guided to a port wine tasting at Caves Calem. It was an interesting experience. We learned more about port wines.

Vile Nova de Gaia

We finally reached the southern bank of the Duoro river. It took a lot of brisk walking and keeping our personal belongings safe while walking through the Ribeira and across Dom Luis I bridge. It was close to the middle of the day. The crowd was still manageable but we felt that it was getting more congested. There were a lot of other tour groups that were arriving to the area.

Our tour manager, Alexandre, guided us along and was pointing out interesting places to visit. There were places to buy souvenirs, canned Portuguese sardines, confectionaries, and a variety of dry goods.

Alexandre was taking us first to a historic Port wine lodge and cellar, Caves Calem. At the wine lodge and cellar, we were given a tour of the cold cellar with giant vats of wine. The process of wine making was explained to us. The tour ended with Port wine tasting.

Caves Calem is historic in a way that it was founded in 1859 to produce Port wine. The Port wine was shipped to Brazil in exchange for exotic wood.

We further explore Vile Nova de Gaia before off to another self-guided walking tour of Porto. This self-guided was assisted with GPSMyCity, an app that we had been using for self-guided tours.

Random photographs of our travels. Memories found and captured in a photograph.