Not our name, but our passion
The Maria Pia Bridge crosses the river Douro located in the city of Porto in Portugal. The bridge was opened in 1877 by the king of Portugal and is named for Queen Maria Pia, who lived from 1847 to 1911.
Gustave Alexandre Eiffel was given the task of constructing the bridge. He is best known for the Eiffel Tower, but was also a skilled bridge engineer. The bridge is similar in appearance to the Dom Louis I Bridge which is just a little ways down the river.
The Dom Luís I Bridge is a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the River Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal. At its construction, its 564 ft span was the longest of its type in the world. It has been confused with the nearby Maria Pia Bridge, a railway bridge that was built 9 years earlier and is similar in aspect to the Luís I bridge.
One of the notable features of the Dom Luís I Bridge is it’s two levels; one on top of the arch and the other suspended below it. Both decks were initially intended to carry road traffic but these days the top carries the Porto Metro trains as well as having a pedestrian walkway.
São Bento Railway Station is a 20th-century railway terminal in the city of Porto, Portugal. The English translation of São Bento is Saint Benedict. The station is located in the Historic Center of Porto, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and as a National Monument of Portugal. This building was constructed over a number of years, starting in 1904, based on plans by architect José Marques da Silva. The large panels of azulejo tile were designed and painted by Jorge Colaço; they were completed in 1916 and the station was then inaugurated. The murals represent moments in the country’s history and the multicolored panels depict rural scenes showing the people of various regions.
The spectacular Catholic Church; Igreja de Santo Antonio dos Congregados is just outside the station.
The Praça da Liberdade or Liberty Square in Porto has its origins in the beginning of the 18th century. It was in 1718 that a project for the urbanization of the area began, which resulted in the creation of new streets and an ample square, known as Praça Nova (New Square). The square was initially limited by the medieval walls of the city and by urban palaces, all of which are now gone. After 1788, the religious order of Saint Eligius built a convent on the south side of the square that replaced the medieval wall; the imposing Neoclassical façade of the convent, nowadays known as the Cardosas Palace is the oldest extant building of the square, dominating the south side of the square for over 200 years. During the 19th century, several factors increased the importance of the square. The municipality moved to a building on the north side of the square after 1819, and towards the end of the century facilities like the Dom Luís I Bridge (1887) and São Bento Train Station (1896) were opened nearby.
In 1866 a monument dedicated to King Peter IV, a monarch closely linked to Porto, was inaugurated in the middle of the square. The monument, by French sculptor Anatole Calmels, consists of a statue of Peter IV riding a horse and holding the Constitution that he had fought to protect during the Liberal Wars.
While waiting for the train leaving Porto on our way back to Lisbon we stopped for a quick treat at the Pão Fofo bakery. Alex had a wonderful piece of chocolate cake and I ordered some coxinha.
