Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): The Fortress on the Cliff
Why is it significant?
Step onto the wide stone terrace of Terreiro da Sé and gaze up at the crenellated towers and heavy Romanesque walls of Porto Cathedral.
Key Facts
| Place | Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): The Fortress on the Cliff |
|---|---|
| Address | Terreiro da Sé, 4050-573 Porto |
| Geo Coordinates | 41.14280, -8.61110 |
| Part of Walk | Porto of Granite & Gold: Blue Azulejos, Port Cellars, and the Douro River |
| Generated | Generated |
Step onto the wide stone terrace of Terreiro da Sé and gaze up at the crenellated towers and heavy Romanesque walls of Porto Cathedral. Begun around eleven ten under Bishop Hugo, this fortress-like cathedral was built with thick granite battlements to withstand attacks by Moorish corsairs and medieval raiders.
In the center of the terrace stands the ornate Baroque pelourinho, or pillory, a spiraling stone column where criminals were bound and judicial proclamations read to the populace. From the balustrade, look down over the cascade of red-tiled roofs tumbling down into the Douro gorge.
In thirteen eighty-seven, this cathedral was the setting for the historic royal wedding between King João the First of Portugal and the English princess Philippa of Lancaster, sealing the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty of Windsor, the oldest diplomatic alliance in the world still in effect today.
Walk down the steep medieval stairs of Escadas do Barredo into the heart of the Ribeira.